Rafael Nadal’s uncle has revealed he would not consider coaching Carlos Alcaraz even if he was approached by the tennis superstar.
Toni Nadal, speaking on the Nude Project Podcast, explained why the 22-year-old should not consider hiring him when the time comes to find a new coach.
Alcaraz is a fan favourite due to his presence on the courtGettyThe 64-year-old explained that due to his close relationship with legendary nephew Rafael Nadal, he would definitely say no to taking on a coaching role with Alcaraz.
Toni Nadal said: “He certainly wouldn’t call me, he has enough good coaches. I don’t think he needs my help at all. And if he did call me, well, I wouldn’t want him to surpass Rafael, otherwise I’d have a problem.”
He famously coached his nephew from the age of four until the end of the 2017 season, when Nadal was 31.
Across his career, Rafa won 92 ATP singles titles, including 22 Grand Slam men’s singles titles and 36 ATP Tour Masters 1000 titles.
Despite the blunt beginning to the interview, Nadal did have some praise for Alcaraz, pointing out his various strengths and suggesting that the former ATP world No. 1 has only one weakness.
He added: “Tennis-wise, I think he’s terrific. He does everything, and he does everything well. He’s the fastest, he has devastating shots, both forehand and backhand. On the serve, which is perhaps his least good, but I think he also has a good serve.”
After voicing his stern opinions on the 22-year-old, the experienced coach revealed that he prefers Alcaraz’s game to that of Jannik Sinner‘s.
He continued: He’s skilful. He fails a little sometimes, I don’t know if he’s distracted, or tactically… but he’s terrific. For me, I like Alcaraz more than Sinner, but nowadays, he [Sinner] is a bit more reliable than Alcaraz. Alcaraz, I’m telling you, an extraordinary player.”
The young star has said he feels enslaved to the sport at times, but Nadal had no sympathy for his compatriot’s complaints about the length of the tennis calendar.
Nadal also took the opportunity to publicly remind the Spaniard about the perks that are available to top athletes, especially in comparison to most people his age.
Rafael Nadal (Left) and Carlos Alcaraz (Right) played together in men’s doubles quarter-final of the Paris 2024 Olympic GamesGettyAlcaraz’s emergence onto the scene has been one of the biggest narratives in tennis over the last decade. His electric style of play often scores him a top spot in fan rankings.
The four-time Grand Slam champion has spoken several times about the influence his current coach Juan Carlos Ferrero has had on him.
The two share a close bond but Ferrero, the 2003 French Open winner, stated he does not want to coach Alcaraz throughout his entire career.
Samuel Lopez was hired as a second coach in December 2024. It is uncertain whether he might eventually become the 22-year-old’s primary coach.
Alcaraz is now two victories away from a chance at defending the French Open title that he won last year.
On Friday, he will face Lorenzo Musetti, who controversially avoided disqualification in his quarterfinal against Frances Tiafoe after hitting a line judge with a ball.
Novak Djokovic also has a spot in the semi-finals on Friday, against the current world No.1 Sinner. As the four men vie for a place in the 2025 French Open final.
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