Rafael Nadal's Uncle Toni Makes Blunt Admission About Coaching Tennis Icon
In a heartfelt conversation with grand slam champion Garbiñe Muguruza, Toni Nadal offered a rare and touching glimpse into his coaching journey with Rafael Nadal — one of the greatest players the sport has ever seen. Despite standing courtside for some of tennis' most iconic moments, Uncle Toni revealed that the memories he treasures most aren't the ones played out under the blinding lights of major finals, but rather the quiet, unnoticed hours on the clay courts of Manacor.
"Well, I've said it many times," Toni Nadal began, "I had much more fun coaching my nephew when he was little than when he was older. All my life, I've enjoyed training much more because I think it's a more decisive stage."
It was during those formative years — long before Rafael lifted Grand Slam trophies or wore the crown of World No.1 — that Toni found the real magic. The simple quest to perfect a forehand, to smooth out a backhand, or the constant but often futile effort to sharpen Rafa’s serve, filled those days with meaning.
"Many have asked me about the best moment I lived with Rafael," Toni shared. "I was lucky to live through some incredible moments, but none were as good as those early days at the Manacor Tennis Club, trying to get us improve our drive, our backhand, or our serve.” “We never could get the serve right though,” he adds with a chuckle.
Toni’s nostalgia is tinged with a subtle commentary on how much the landscape of youth sports has changed. "Nowadays it's very difficult to work with young people who have an environment that sometimes makes them believe that they are better than they really are," he noted.
Back then, it wasn’t about fame or fortune. It was about growth; about small daily victories no one saw but that laid the foundation for everything that followed. The innocence of those years, when mistakes were simply steps toward greatness and when improvement was its own reward, remains for Toni the most beautiful part of his journey.
They may never have perfected Rafa’s serve, as Toni joked, but they built something far more important — a bond forged in effort, humility, and pure love for the sport.
