“It Will Hurt the Game,” Rafael Nadal’s Uncle Intensely Challenged by Serena Williams’ Former Coach Over Tennis Reforms

Tennis has undergone a remarkable journey, evolving over the centuries. From its origins in the 11th century as “Jeu de Paume,” where players used their hands. Over nearly 900 years, it evolved into the modern game, featuring rackets and diverse court surfaces. The modern version of lawn tennis was formalized in the late 19th century by Major Walter Clopton Wingfield. Significant changes like the Open Era in 1968 further shaped the sport. Today, tennis is dynamic and technologically advanced, with innovations like Live Electronic Line calling. And remember when off-court coaching was approved last year? Now, two legendary coaches have differing opinions on how to improve tennis further.

On March 19, Toni Nadal, the uncle and former coach of Rafael Nadal, suggested several measures to the tennis authorities. He prioritizes making the ball travel slower. “In tennis, the size of the net is immutable, whereas the average height of players on the circuit has risen from 1.75m in my time to 1.90m today, and they are also more powerful,” Toni said in an interview with the French newspaper Le Monde. “I propose reducing the size of racquets. Because the very nature of the game has changed.”

Toni draws a parallel to football in the 1990s, where the “back-pass rule” was implemented to prevent excessive defensive play and time-wasting. Toni believes tennis should consider similarly impactful rule changes to reduce the advantage held by players with powerful serves, suggesting that the increasing height and power of top players are making the game less competitive and entertaining. He specifically mentions the idea of reducing racket sizes as a potential measure.

However, Patrick Mouratoglou, the former coach of Serena Williams, disagrees with Toni’s approach. Mouratoglou has seen many changes in tennis since he founded the Mouratoglou Tennis Academy in 1996 and started professional coaching three years later. In an interview reported by We Love Tennis, he agreed with Toni on reducing aces but proposed a different solution. “Tennis suffers from having too many aces and too many service winners. I don’t think a smaller racquet is a good idea because it will hurt the game,” he began with his stance.

The current coach of Naomi Osaka pointed to a special rule used in the Ultimate Tennis Showdown (UTS), an exhibition event he organizes. “What solves the problem is having only one serve. I think what we did at UTS, having only one serve instead of two, solves the problem. We have a lot more rallies, a lot fewer aces and service winners, and that’s what we want. We want more rallies and less… boom, serve, winner, ace, missed return… we don’t want that. We want rallies. Having an ace every now and then is good, but not too many.” He, perhaps, has a point.

For instance, Jakub Mensik’s win over Novak Djokovic in the Miami Open final saw more aces than any other final at the event since 2018. Last year, Jannik Sinner faced Grigor Dimitrov with 4 to 6 aces, and in 2023, Daniil Medvedev delivered 9 aces to Sinner’s 6. This shows a gradual rise in the number of aces hit in big matches on the ATP Tour.

On the flip side, fans who enjoy longer exchanges and fewer aces might find Mouratoglou’s UTS events particularly appealing.

The UTS takes a revolutionary leap in its latest edition

Speaking to Tennis365 in November 2024, Patrick stated, “Fans can love classical tennis and they can also love UTS. The goal of UTS is mostly to bring new fans to tennis and younger fans, but of course, any tennis fan is more than welcome.” The UTS tour has already kicked off in Guadalajara, Mexico, earlier in the season. What’s next?

UTS is making its French debut in the breathtaking Arènes de Nîmes, a Roman amphitheater dating back to the 1st century BCE, on April 4-5, 2025. This revolutionary format, founded by Mouratoglou, promises an electrifying experience with fast-paced matches and interactive elements. Top players like Gael Monfils, Andrey Rublev, Ugo Humbert, Casper Ruud, Holger Rune, Alex De Minaur, and Ben Shelton will compete at this event. It initially included the World No.4, Taylor Fritz; however, he had to withdraw due to an abdominal injury.

UTS organizers divide matches into four quarters, each lasting eight minutes, where players serve only once and officials eliminate let calls. Players use bonus cards to add strategy, making a point worth three.

Isn’t that exciting? As players compete under their nicknames, the energy is palpable. With the clay season just around the corner, will we see more changes in the ATP format, like Mouratoglou and Toni Nadal hope for? Share your thoughts in the comments below!