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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)
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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)
There have been a lot of talks about Rafael Nadal and his uncle Toni ever since the two parted ways. There were rumors that Rafa didn’t like Toni Nadal’s presence after a certain point and even fired him. However, the Spaniard recently cleared the air and revealed some intriguing facts.
In a recent interview, Rafael Nadal disclosed that he has never ever fired anyone in his career so far. He said that his uncle was tired of traveling with him and thus decided to part ways. Rafa also mentioned that he has had the same team since he was 15.
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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)
“I have been having the same team since I was 15 years old. Uncle Toni left because he was tired of traveling,” said Nadal.
Rafa Nadal says he has never fired anyone during his career: "I have been having the same team since I was 15 years old. Uncle Toni left because he was tired of travelling. I trust them a lot. When things go bad, it's just my fault. You can't find excuses"https://t.co/27IKifZJsc
— Luigi Gatto (@gigicat7_) March 25, 2021
Rafael Nadal and Toni have been one of the most successful player-coach pair in the history of the sport. Under Toni, Rafa won 16 majors out of his 20. Interestingly, he even lifted 10 French Open titles when he was coached by Toni.
“When things go bad, it’s just my fault”- Rafael Nadal
Nadal further said that he never blames his coaching team when he fails, and that is probably why he never fires them. He admitted that he always takes the blame whenever he loses a match as he trusts his team a lot.
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KEY BISCAYNE, FL – MARCH 25: Rafael Nadal attends the Miami Open – Celebrity Sightings at Crandon Park Tennis Center on March 25, 2016, in Key Biscayne, Florida. (Photo by Gustavo Caballero/Getty Images)
“I trust them [team members] a lot. When things go bad, it’s just my fault. You can’t find excuses,” added the World No. 3 player.
Currently, Rafael Nadal is working with head coach Carlos Moya, and he has been working with him since 2016. The former Spanish player has helped Nadal win six Grand Slams and seven ATP 1000 Masters so far.
Even though Rafa is not playing at the Miami Open 2021, he’ll hope to make a comeback on the court soon. Will Nadal be able to outperform all the other players once again at the upcoming clay-court season?
Also Read: “We Are Not Close Friends”: Rafael Nadal on Relationship With Roger Federer
