Thanks to Uncle Toni! Because of him, Rafael Nadal has won numerous titles throughout his career. Uncle Toni has become a prominent tennis figure during his time coaching his nephew. Despite coaching Rafa ever since he was a little boy, Toni is also a big admirer of his rival, Roger Federer. Further, in the question of the Big Three, the veteran coach has expressed his reservation for the third, Novak Djokovic. However, in a recent revelation, there was a slight twist.

Toni’s comments come as his nephew is busy recovering. After a long absence from action, ‘King of Clay’ has not returned to the tour after sustaining recurring injuries. But his uncle is as active as ever!

Rafael Nadal’s uncle snubs Novak Djokovic for Roger Federer

The 22-time Grand Slam champion is on a long path to recovery. Earlier this year, he announced that he would come back in the next season. While he is on the path to recovery, his uncle interviewed with ‘Eurosport’ about his return. He revealed Rafa is looking to return in the 2024 Australian Open and play the entire season to the best of his abilities.

In the interview, he also talked about the new number of slams that Djokovic has attained after his US Open victory. “Djokovic is a great champion and it will be very difficult to reach him, not only for my nephew but for anyone,” he said. “It’s very difficult to determine who is the best in history…you have to opt for Djokovic because the titles support him.”

But despite the glowing review for the Serbinator, he still picked Federer over the 24-time Grand Slam champion. “Although I think [Roger] Federer has sometimes managed to play at an even higher level, I think in the world of sport if we go by the numbers, Djokovic is without a doubt the best.”

However, the comments are hardly a surprise. With a one-track mind, this is not the first time Toni Nadal has snubbed ‘The Joker’ for the former Swiss player.

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Rafa’s uncle puts Federer on a pedestal: “Has transcended his sport”

Toni Nadal is undoubtedly a big fan of his nephew and Federer. He has talked about the two being better than Djokovic many times. In a recent interview with ‘Clay’, he asserted that his nephew and Federer were above Djokovic, given how they transcended their sport. But among the three, he picked Federer to be better than the rest.

Following his words up with the admission that his was a subjective claim, Toni Nadal declared: “I think Federer and Nadal have transcended their sport more than Djokovic. And Federer has transcended his sport more than anyone else.” Favoring Federer over even his own nephew, Coach Toni’s perspective, is indeed interesting!

Toni has picked the Swiss Maestro over the Serbian legend many times. But he also believes that from a purely statistical standpoint, Djokovic is undeniably the best player in history. What are your thoughts on his assessment? Tell us in the comments!

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