Throughout the world of sport, the name
‘Nadal’ is well known. You don’t need to be a tennis fan to know it deserves its place in the pantheon of greats, regardless of what happens from this point
henceforth. But, has the ‘other’ Nadal earnt his dues? You hear about football
sorts Guardiola and Mourinho all the time when talking about great coaches, and
yet across sport and the generations few can have achieved what Rafael’s Uncle
Toni has.
Rafael’s withdrawal from the ATP
Finals at the O2 in London two days ago didn’t really come as a surprise, but
perhaps the timing is perfect to address just what his uncle has also achieved.
It wasn’t for nothing that Roland Garros got Toni down on the court to receive
a replica of the Coupe des Mousquetaires
(as he was also winning it for a tenth time), and boy did he deserve his moment
in the spotlight, despite it seemingly making him uncomfortable.
So, while
Federer, Seles, Sampras, Navratilova, Agassi and many more have seen varying
numbers of coaches across their careers (some small galleries of faces), Uncle
Toni has been present closely watching over his nephew’s career since Rafael
was the age of four. In an age in which people are constantly jumping ship and
moving on to fresh pastures, new work, Toni stayed and accepted the challenges
that came his and Rafa’s way. That’s twenty-seven years together, sixteen Grand
Slam victories, thirty Masters’ titles and other smaller ones too (not just on the
clay). And while it isn’t completely at an end, or so it is said, Toni Nadal’s
year-round, on-the-road coaching position is over. How many other coaches have
stayed around long enough to witness their charge achieve the level of success
Rafael has? How many can achieve such things? So, while the way this year has
ended for the Nadals may be slightly disappointing – injury meaning Rafa goes
out with a whimper rather than a bang (advised by Toni to not even play his
first match two days ago) – what Team Nadal has done in the absence of Murray,
Djokovic et al. is truly magnificent.
Uncle Toni,
a silent force, shunning the spotlight and media that one can clearly enjoy
given such a position, chose to get his head down and keep on finding new ways
to improve every aspect of Rafael’s game. With an equally restless thirst for
victory, Toni and Rafael have made the ultimate partnership. The proof, as they
say, is in the pudding. Let Federer’s achievements not dwarf those of the two
Nadal men. In any other era, people would be talking endlessly about what the
Spaniards have achieved. Sixteen Grand Slams didn’t seem fathomable when
Sampras hung up his racket, and Rafael has won both the slams that have taken
him past Sampras’ total this year at the age of thirty-one (at that age Sampras
played his last professional match). Uncle Toni must take great credit for this
reinvention and return to form and the top of the game of his nephew. Let us
also remember that 2015 and 2016 were not easy years for camp Nadal, fighting
through injuries, confidence problems and a falling ranking. Now, Toni leaves
Rafa with the year-end number one (the record of being the oldest man to hold
that title), two Grand Slam titles and a series of other titles that capped a
fantastic year.
And so,
Toni Nadal, one of the greatest coaches ever, retires from being Rafael’s
permanent coach to remain in Mallorca and run the Rafa Nadal Academy that was
opened last year. With any luck he will still attend the majors and be the
undeniably positive force he has been for so many years. But, if ever a man
deserved some acknowledgement of his achievements, if ever an unsung hero
should be steered into the spotlight for a moment again, if ever people should
talk about the greatest coaches, of any sportsperson, of all time, then Uncle
Toni should surely be mentioned. Take a bow, Mr. Nadal, for your achievements
are unlikely to be matched any time soon. Everybody is always talking about
GOATs these days - I think they might just be overlooking not one but two
Nadals.
First published on tennisworldusa.org
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