Toni Nadal gives interesting insight into the best time he had while coaching his nephew, Rafael Nadal
Toni Nadal was the first coach of Rafael Nadal and he maintained his responsibilities until 2016 when he got replaced by Carlos Moya.
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Toni Nadal and Rafael Nadal (via X)
Spanish tennis coach Toni Nadal has reflected on his great relationship with his nephew, Rafael Nadal. Toni, who is Rafa’s uncle, recalled the wonderful times they spent together while he was Rafa’s coach.
Toni believes that he has many great memories with Rafa. However, the best ones came during the early years in Mallorca, when the young Spaniard was working to improve his forehands and backhands.
I’ve said it many times, I enjoyed coaching my nephew much more when he was little than when he was older. Throughout my life, I’ve enjoyed coaching much more, as I believe it’s a more decisive stage. Many have asked me what the best time I’ve had with Rafael was. I’ve been lucky enough to experience some incredible moments, but none were as beautiful as his early days at the Manacor Tennis Club, where we tried to improve his forehand, backhand, or serve.
Toni Nadal said in an interview to Tennis Uptodate
Toni was statistically the best coach on the men’s tour until 2020, when Marian Vajda overtook him. Vajda, the coach of Novak Djokovic, led the Serb to a record-breaking 17th Grand Slam title at the 2020 Australian Open.
Since then, Toni has taken on multiple roles. He also coached Felix Auger-Aliassime before becoming the president of the Rafa Nadal Academy.
Rafael Nadal dominates the charts at the Madrid Open
Rafael Nadal is the only player to win more than 50 matches at the Madrid Open. Two other players have reached 30 wins at the event. From 2002 to 2008, the tournament was played indoors on hard courts at the Madrid Arena. In 2009, it moved to the clay courts of La Caja Mágica and has stayed there ever since.
Alexander Zverev is playing the Madrid Open for the eighth time in 2025. His third-round win over Alejandro Davidovich Fokina was his 25th victory at the event. Zverev first played in Madrid in 2017 and has won the title twice. Andy Murray won 29 matches at the tournament over 13 appearances. He won nine matches on hard courts and 20 matches after the move to clay.
Novak Djokovic has 30 Madrid Open match wins from 13 visits. He won six matches on hard courts and 24 matches on clay. Djokovic has three Madrid titles, all on clay. Roger Federer earned 37 wins in 12 appearances. He won 17 matches on hard courts and 20 matches after the switch to clay. Federer won three Madrid titles — two on clay and one indoors.
Nadal won 59 matches across 20 Madrid Open campaigns. He earned 13 wins on hard courts between 2003 and 2008. After the event switched to clay, he added 46 more wins. Nadal lifted the Madrid trophy five times — four on clay and once on hard court.
Rafael Nadal’s statistics at Masters 1000 clay events explained
Spanish tennis star Rafael Nadal was known as the ‘King of Clay’ because of his dominance on the surface. While he is best remembered for his success at Roland Garros, he was also a champion at the Monte Carlo, Madrid, and Rome Masters 1000 events. His career was built on longevity, shown by how often he played these tournaments. Nadal appeared 14 times at the Madrid Open after it moved to clay, 17 times in Monte Carlo, and a huge 19 times in Rome.
Nadal won multiple titles at all three events. In Madrid, he lifted the trophy four times — in 2010, 2013, 2014, and 2017 — and finished as runner-up three times. Monte Carlo was his most successful tournament, where he won 11 titles. He won eight in a row from 2005 to 2012, and three more between 2016 and 2018. In Rome, Nadal claimed 10 titles, winning in three straight years from 2005 to 2007 and adding more victories across the next decade.
When it comes to win rates, Monte Carlo was Nadal’s best event. He won 92.4% of his matches there, with a record of 73 wins and only six losses. Only five players beat him at Monte Carlo, and Novak Djokovic managed it twice. At the Italian Open, Nadal won 88.6% of his matches, with a 70-9 record. In Madrid, he had a strong 82.1% win rate, winning 46 matches and losing 10 after the surface change to clay.
Madrid was slightly harder for Nadal compared to Monte Carlo and Rome. This was mainly because of the altitude in Madrid, which made the air thinner and the ball travel faster. The faster conditions were less like true clay and favored some of his opponents. Still, winning over 80% of his matches on any surface shows just how great Nadal was on clay throughout his career.
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