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MONTE-CARLO, MONACO – APRIL 13: Rafael Nadal of Spain in a practice session as uncle and coach Toni Nadal watches on during day two of the Monte Carlo Rolex Masters tennis at the Monte-Carlo Sporting Club on April 13, 2015 in Monte-Carlo, Monaco. (Photo by Julian Finney/Getty Images)
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MONTE-CARLO, MONACO – APRIL 13: Rafael Nadal of Spain in a practice session as uncle and coach Toni Nadal watches on during day two of the Monte Carlo Rolex Masters tennis at the Monte-Carlo Sporting Club on April 13, 2015 in Monte-Carlo, Monaco. (Photo by Julian Finney/Getty Images)
Since turning pro in 2005, Rafael Nadal established himself one of the most recognised names in men’s tennis. With 20 Grand Slam victories, he defined the game along with Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic, who share the same record.
However, he showed signs of becoming a highly successful tennis player at an early age. Recently, his uncle Toni detailed when he first spotted his nephew’s talent.
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Toni Nadal reveals speaking to Rafael’s parents when he was seven years old
The 50-year-old recently appeared on The Double Bagel Tennis Podcast with Eric Han. During the 30-minute interaction, he spoke about several aspects of his nephew ranging from his mentality to his toughest opponents. One of the questions he was asked was when he saw the talent Rafael possessed, to which he said it was at seven years old.
He said, “When he was seven, I spoke with my brother, his father. Of course, I spoke only with his brother like this, and I said, ‘I am sure that your son will be a Spanish champion.’
“Because, before I coached another one who was number two in Spain, and my nephew has more talent, has more decision. And then, Rafael was always good. When he was eight, for his age, he was very good. When he was 11 years old, he became a Spanish champion.”
READ MORE: Who are Rafael Nadal’s Parents and How Have They Influenced his Life?
Toni: Always believed Rafael Nadal can be a great tennis player
Toni Nadal also mentioned how his nephew’s junior career made him believe in his career. In addition, he also mentioned the importance of motivation to achieve goals in Rafael‘s career.
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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)
“You can understand and you can believe that he can be a very good tennis player,” said Nadal. “And there’s another thing: It’s impossible to work hard, to work with a real motivation when you don’t believe that you can achieve goals.
“For this reason, I always believe that he can be a very good tennis player because I wanted to believe. He was good, but I wanted to believe that.”
While he achieved immense success in previous years, a foot injury ended his chance to clinch a record-breaking 21st Grand Slam this year. Can the Spaniard make a strong return in 2022?
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