‘He doesn’t have to ask me anything, he’s my uncle’: Rafael Nadal on uncle Toni’s new coaching role
Follow UsNo video or image available for this post.
Rafael Nadal will be returning to court ,after almost two months out, at the ATP Monte Carlo Masters. This will be his first appearance on court after the Australian Open Quarter Final loss to Stefanos Tsitsipas. Nadal has played just that one tournament this season, choosing instead to take care of a bad back which tends to flare up.
Nadal has a very special relationship with the Monte Carlo Masters. He has won the tournament a record 11 times. The only other tournament he has won more times is the French Open which he has won 13 times. The tournament was cancelled last year due to Covid, so the defending champion is the 2019 winner Fabio Fognini. Fognini had beaten Rafael Nadal in the Semi-finals and Dušan Lajović in the Finals to clinch the trophy in 2019.
Toni Nadal is part of Felix Auger-Aliassime’s coaching team at the Monte Carlo Masters
The Rafael Nadal Academy had announced last week that Toni Nadal will be at Monte Carlo to advise the young Canadian Felix Auger-Aliassime. When Rafael Nadal was asked about it, he said “I am happy for him, happy for at the same time [that the Rafael Nadal] Academy have somebody with such a great player like Felix is a positive thing.”
Rafael Nadal said that he is happy for his Uncle and also for his academy that such an exciting new talent will be part of the Rafael Nadal academy set-up. Nadal added that he doesn’t have any problem with Uncle Toni coaching a rival player. He stressed that Uncle Toni didn’t have to ask him for permission before coaching someone else. He believes that Felix will have a great support with Uncle Toni next to him. He ended by saying that he liked the fact that he will meet uncle Nadal on tour again.
Nadal said “I don’t have any problem, no. I always said the same: I want the best for Toni.”
Nadal continues, “First of all, he doesn’t have to ask me anything, no. He’s my uncle. I am very grateful for all the things that he did for me. I am happy that he’s on the tour a couple of weeks, no?”
Nadal concluded “At the same time I am happy for Felix. I mean, is going to be a good support, have a great coach like Toni next to him. Happy for me, too. I am happy to see my uncle here, see him here, spend time with him here on the tour again. That’s a positive thing.”
Stay Updated!
Auri Ghosh
(652 Articles Published)