Toni Nadal To Return As Rafael Nadal's Coach? Spaniard Opens The Door

Rafael Nadal is open to the idea of his uncle Toni Nadal returning to his coaching team on a permanent basis after they ended their almost 27-year partnership in 2017.

Nadal senior, who is fondly known as Uncle Toni, is the most successful coach in the history of the game after having led his nephew to all his 16-men’s singles Grand Slam titles.

Uncle Toni was a regular feature in Rafael’s box in every tournament he played since turning pro in 2001. But early in the 2017 season, the Spaniard’s coach decided to take a step back and allow Carlos Moya, who joined the coaching team prior to the start of last season, to take over the reigns as head coach.

The 57-year-old has not traveled with Rafael in 2018 and is now more focused on coaching the young talent coming through at the Rafael Nadal Tennis Academy in Mallorca. However, he was present at the Barcelona Open, where his former charge is currently playing.

The world number one’s former coach, who was present at the practice session and both of Rafael’s matches thus far, was honored by the organizers of the Barcelona Open for his contribution to the competition. During his acceptance speech Uncle Toni took the opportunity to leave the door open over a potential return to coaching.

Rafael paid tribute to his uncle after he was honored and made it clear the door is always open for him to rejoin his coaching team. The ten-time French Open champion joked that he never asked Nadal senior to leave, so there is no question of him not wanting him back in his corner.

“He isn't in the day by day (life), but he didn't leave neither,” Rafael said Wednesday, as quoted by Tennis World USA. “He is here, in Mallorca he comes to training sessions and he knows that I am happy of it.”

“He is always an help, I am happy with my current team, but no one knows my game better than Toni. When he says he would love to comeback if I ask to...I never asked him to leave (laughter). He knows that he will always be more than welcome. He can head to all the events he wants.”

Rafael, meanwhile, continues to break records on clay as he became the first player in the modern era to win 38 consecutive sets on the red dirt when he beat Roberto Carballes Baena on Wednesday. He made it 40 with his win over Guillermo Garcia-Lopez in Thursday as he moved into the quarter-finals of the Barcelona Open.

The 31-year-old showed similar dominance on his way to the Monte Carlo Masters title earlier in the month and it looks almost certain that he will defend his title in the Catalan capital this week. Rafael, however, was his humble self when asked about the record and feels it will not last until the final clay court event of the season at Roland Garros at the end of May.

“It's a record, but I don't care much about it. And I don't think it keeps like this until Roland Garros. I would like it, but it won't be like this,” Rafael, who last lost a set at the Italian Open in 2017, said ahead of his quarter-final match against Martin Klizan on Friday, as per Tennis World USA.