Toni Nadal rates Djokovic a tougher opponent than Federer for nephew Rafael Nadal
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Rafael Nadal and Toni Nadal
Needless to say, the tennis world has been dominated by the trio of Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic for almost 17 years now. They have globalized the sport like none and are still the frontrunners in any tournament they play. Amongst the three, Rafael Nadal has had the most consistent coaching team, headed by his uncle Toni Nadal for most of the time.
Uncle Toni was Rafa’s head coach for more than a decade and the partnership did wonders including multiple grand slam triumphs. As of now, uncle Toni is currently Felix Auger-Aliassime’s coach and recently spoke about his partnership with his nephew.
He narrated a short story about the 2008 Wimbledon final played between Nadal and Federer and how nervous he was. The Nadal-Federer rivalry was at its peak around that time. Nadal eventually won the match in an epic 5-set encounter, claiming his maiden Wimbledon title. “I was very nervous all the time. Not in the fifth set, but from the first set , explained Rafael Nadal’s uncle.
‘Beating Djokovic is more difficult than Federer’: Toni Nadal
Nadal’s rivalry with Djokovic and Federer has been the toughest and most challenging. Uncle Toni shared some insights about the same. He revealed that he, working with Rafa would somehow have a plan against Federer but the same thing is a lot tougher against Djokovic and one never knows exactly what to expect.
“I think we still had a way to beat Roger Federer. With Novak Djokovic, it’s more difficult because you never know exactly what to do,” he said.
As of now, neither of Federer, Nadal or Djokovic are playing at Cincinnati. Federer is set to undergo another knee surgery while Nadal is recovering from a minor niggle. Djokovic is taking some time off the court to prepare for the US Open.
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Lakshya Chopra
(2596 Articles Published)