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Rafael Nadal of Spain celebrates victory with the trophy alongside coach Toni Nadal after the men’s singles final against Stan Wawrinka of Switzerland on day fifteen of the French Open at Roland Garros on June 11, 2017 in Paris, France. (Photo by Clive Brunskill/Getty Images)
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Rafael Nadal of Spain celebrates victory with the trophy alongside coach Toni Nadal after the men’s singles final against Stan Wawrinka of Switzerland on day fifteen of the French Open at Roland Garros on June 11, 2017 in Paris, France. (Photo by Clive Brunskill/Getty Images)
Toni and Rafael Nadal are one of the most successful coach-player pairs in the history of tennis. Uncle Toni had been training his nephew since his very childhood and the two won 16 Grand Slam titles together.
Even though Uncle Toni and Rafael Nadal are no longer working together, Rafa owes a huge chunk of his success to the mentorship and guidance of his uncle.
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Uncle Toni reveals that he always demanded more from Rafael Nadal
In a recent interview, Toni Nadal admitted that as a coach, he was very demanding of Nadal. He revealed that he showed such an attitude in front of him because he had a high respect and admiration for him and wanted him to achieve more.
“I was very demanding with my nephew. Sometimes too much. But I was very demanding because I had a high esteem for him, and I think that is almost always the case,” said Toni Nadal in the interview. (Translated via Google Translate)
Those who follow Toni know that he is a tough taskmaster. However, he clearly mentioned that he did so for the betterment of his nephew.
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Toni Nadal tried to bring the best out of Rafa through rigorous training
In the same interview, Toni stated that even though parents and coaches don’t always demand a lot from their children, he is the opposite. He emphasized that he always wanted to bring the best out of Rafa and thus demanded more and more from him.
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LONDON, ENGLAND – NOVEMBER 03: Rafael Nadal of Spain discusses tatics with his coach Toni Nadal during a practice session prior to the start of ATP World Tour Finals Tennis at O2 Arena on November 3, 2013 in London, England. (Photo by Clive Brunskill/Getty Images)
“Although sometimes there are exceptions, such as a father or mother who obviously loves their children very much and is not very demanding with them. I always understood the opposite. And I always tried to demand a lot because I always tried to esteem everyone I trained,” added the 60-year-old.
As of now, Rafael Nadal has already ended his 2021 season due to a foot injury. Fans hope that he recovers soon and returns to the court quickly. Will he be able to make an incredible comeback next year?
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Also Read: Uncle Toni Reveals Rafael Nadal’s Secret to Success That Young Players Should Learn From
