‘Would Have Hated My Nephew’ – Uncle Toni on if Rafael Nadal Was an Ill-Mannered Tennis Player on the Court

Rafael Nadal has set a perfect example on the tennis court. The 22-time Grand Slam champion has time and again proved that by grit and determination, one can achieve its goals. Take the example of the Australian Open earlier this year. The Spaniard came back from two sets down to defeat Daniil Medvedev in the final. Nadal gave his all to ensure he tastes the flavor of glory.

It is this attitude that his uncle, Toni Nadal wanted him to learn. He was Nadal’s childhood coach and ensured that he takes the right direction to succeed in tennis. In Nadal’s autobiography, Rafa: My Story, Toni detailed Nadal’s attitude while growing up.

Uncle Toni appreciates the attitude of Rafael Nadal

In Nadal’s autobiography, Toni describes how his nephew was a well-mannered boy while growing up. He said, “Respect for other people, for everyone irrespective of who they might be or what they might do, is the starting point of everything. What is not acceptable is that people who have had it all in life should behave coarsely with other people. No, the higher you are, the greater your duty to treat people with respect.”

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Talking about what he would have done if Nadal was an ill-mannered boy, Toni said, “I would have hated my nephew to have turned out any other way, to have performed tantrums on court, to have been churlish with his opponents, with the whole world watching on TV. Or, for that matter, to be impolite with the umpires or the fans. I always say, and his parents do too, that it is more important to be a good person than a good player.”

Nadal can achieve the Number 1 spot on the ATP Rankings

The 22-time Grand Slam champion has the possibility to end the year at the top of the ATP rankings. Daniil Medvedev, who is the current World Number 1, faces a monumental task as he has to defend 5000 ranking points in the coming tournaments. Moreover, World Number 2, Alexander Zverev, is sidelined due to an injury and unlikely to return to action soon.

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Thus, Nadal has a golden opportunity to end the year on a high. In the latest ATP rankings, he is in the third spot, 1460 points behind Medvedev.