“The Track That Hurts”- Uncle Toni Says Rafael Nadal’s Group at ATP Finals 2020 Is ‘Difficult’

The ATP Finals 2020 have begun, and it is time to witness some great tennis by top-class players. One of them is 20-time Grand Slam winner Rafael Nadal who will be starting the tournament as the second seed.

The ATP Finals title is one of those feathers that is missing from the golden cap of Rafa. His former coach and uncle, Toni Nadal, revealed in a recent interview that Nadal is well prepared and can win the title this time. However, Toni asserted that he would have to face quite a few challenges.

“What I saw of Rafael Nadal in training is interesting. It is obvious that he hits the ball very well. He did it before going to Paris but he could not translate it into a tournament, where he did not play at his level. He arrives in London well prepared and with possibilities to do better than in Paris. This group is going to be difficult, everyone can qualify,” said Toni in the interview.

Uncle Toni believes that Rafa did not play to his full potential at the Rolex Paris Masters 2020. However, he admitted that he was one of the strongest players to win the tournament. He even disclosed that he saw Nadal during his training and was quite impressed with it.

It’s a well-documented fact that indoor surfaces don’t suit Rafa. He hasn’t won many titles playing on hard indoor courts and still remains title-less at the Paris Masters and ATP Finals. That is why uncle Toni also appeared a little worried about his way of playing in these conditions.

Read More: Rafael Nadal reacts on his title-less run at the ATP Finals 

“Track that hurts the most for him”- Uncle Toni on Rafael Nadal

Toni is well aware of the problems Nadal used to face on specific conditions and surfaces having coached Rafa for over a decade in his professional career. He said that the conditions at the ATP Finals in London have always troubled his nephew.

“This tournament has always cost him dearly in the past, it is the track that hurts the most for him, and several times he has arrived tired. We can’t forget that all the matches played here are against the best in the world. So every victory is expensive.”

It is certainly not going to be easy for Nadal, as he faces a much tougher draw to reach the finals than arch-rival Novak Djokovic. With his form, Rafa will be looking forward to winning the title for the first time. He has reached the final of the tournament on two occasions and has lost one to Djokovic and the other to Roger Federer.

Nadal will be kicking off his tournament by facing the man in form, Andrey Rublev, on Monday.