Rafael Nadal’s uncle Toni Nadal has written an emotional tribute to his nephew after their 27-year partnership ended. Toni Nadal has been by his nephew’s side ever since Rafael first picked up the racket at age three.
The Spaniard has since won 16 Grand Slam titles, including a record 10 at the French Open, an Olympic gold medal and the Davis Cup four times. Nadal also had a stellar 2017 season in which the 31-year-old won two Majors – the French Open and US Open.
However, in February this year, the two mutually decided to end their partnership after the 2017 season so that Toni Nadal can focus on the Rafael Nadal academy. Rafa will only work with his other coaches, Carlos Moya and Francisco Roig, from 2018.
In a column posted on Spanish daily El Pais, Toni Nadal wrote that despite not working with his nephew any more, it isn’t the end of tennis coaching for him. “...my path does not end here,” he wrote. “I will continue to be linked to tennis because my enthusiasm and love for this sport, fortunately, remain intact.”
Describing his relationship with Rafa as “uncharacteristically easy within the world in which we move”, Toni wrote that his nephew was responsible for his luck in the sport.
“From the beginning of my nephew’s tennis career I tried to develop a strong and decisive character in him in order to face the difficulties of tennis in particular and of life in general, with which I have always considered that there is a common denominator,” he wrote.
“Thanks to him I have lived experiences that have surpassed all my dreams as a coach. I have travelled by his side to incredible sites and I have met relevant and interesting people from many fields. Today I feel greatly valued and loved because his image has magnified mine much more than I deserve,” he added.