Toni Nadal, Rafa Nadal’s uncle, passed through the microphones of El Larguero on Cadena SER this Wednesday to analyze the performance of his nephew Rafa Nadal at Roland Garros after his victory against Novak Djokovic and in which he also had to face the question about the comparison between Rafa Nadal and Carlos Alcaraz.
Toni Nadal was asked about the match between Djokovic and Nadal in the Roland Garros quarterfinals and the high level shown by both. “It was a great match. I don’t know what situation I would put him in because I don’t have that much of a memory, but it did seem to me to be very high-level tennis from both of them. There were a series of circumstances for it to be a high-level game. Tactically it was played very well, at the level of blows there were many very precise plays. And the fact that he played the number one in the world against the best in history on clay at Roland Garros is also another incentive. Also in the fourth set there was a circumstance with an epic comeback by Rafael that ended with victory in the tie-break. There were many ingredients to be a great game.”
Toni Nadal acknowledged that he suffered and that he also feared that the match would go to the fifth set. “I also thought they would go to the fifth set. It was complicated. Djokovic was playing well, he had several set points and the feeling is that we would go to the fifth. But Nadal has a habit of not giving a ball for lost and in the end, with a bit of luck at some point, he managed to take this fourth set because, if not, it would have been difficult to beat Djokovic after several hours of play”.
Rafa Nadal’s uncle also highlighted his nephew’s ability to suffer in the match against Djokovic as he did in the Australian Open. “I have said it many times and I have said it to him on occasions that we have not agreed, because he told me that he was not well prepared and I told him that it was a mental issue. When you are willing and activate your head well, that extra you can do it. It doesn’t always work out for you, but we already saw him at the Australian Openwhere Rafael went with very little preparation and managed to score a decisive five-set match after losing all the time, down two sets… If you can make the head very well arranged, I think my nephew has a good physical capacity And although he has not prepared one hundred percent, because he has not been on the podium, when the time comes his head is one hundred percent predisposed”.
The coach also spoke about the controversial night session and acknowledges that his nephew would have been better off playing during the day. “He preferred to play at night and that’s why he said what he said. We all know that television and the economic aspect usually rule on many occasions. In the end, the Super Cup was played in Arabia, which was unthinkable a few years ago. In tennis these television decisions that ask you for a stellar match like yesterday. You have to accept it. Rafael prefers to play during the day because the bounce is much more lively, Djokovic finds it more difficult to control his shots and for example Rafael’s topspin balls bother more in the heat and a drier track. What happened is that Rafael did the same playing a little more. If they had played during the day, Rafael would have won the points with 5 shots instead of 6 or 7.”
Toni Nadal also believes that this will not be the last Roland Garros of his subrino despite the unknowns raised by Nadal in recent days. “I want to believe that it won’t be his last Roland Garros. I don’t like farewells and I can’t imagine my nephew saying goodbye to tennis. I know he will turn 36 on Friday and before that age everyone was retired. Today The age of the players has been lengthened, but it is not very far. It will depend on Rafael, but I think that as long as he is competitive, he will continue. If the problems become pressing and unsolvable, I don’t think I’ll enjoy going to the limit every day.”
The coach also spoke about Nadal’s next rival at Roland Garros: the German Alexander Zverev. “I always hope that Rafael wins, this is the reality. The rival is very complicated. Zverev played a great game against Carlos Alcaraz, we knew it was a game that anyone could take and the German took it, and Zverev did one thing he didn’t usually do which was to be focused the whole game. He has had ups and downs. He had a great match and then he didn’t keep up his level but yesterday (for Tuesday) against Alcaraz he won the first two sets being superior, in the third Carlos came from behind and then held on, even in the tie-break with difficult moments. It will be a difficult match.”
Regarding the comparison with Alcaraz, in the words of ‘Tío Toni’, he believes that it is a mistake that Nadal has already been considered finished, although he does predict a great future for the Murcian tennis player: “You have given him the title of successor to Rafa Nadal a bit quickly. Alcaraz is a great player and I think he is going to be number one in the world. He is very good but there has been part of the press that has finished Rafael. Finished and replaced. Comparing Alcaraz with Rafael is rash. That within 10 years Alcaraz has achieved the same as Rafael, it is possible. He is a great player. He has practically everything, he has a very good drive, he has a very good backhand, a good head, he is very fast. He has all the ingredients to be the top dominator in the next few years on the ATP circuit, but he will have to beat Zverev, Medvedev and company, but he is in a position to do it.”
Toni Nadal reiterated that his nephew has been dethroned and stated that, despite having been considered finished, Rafa Nadal is still a fighter. “Dethrone him yes you have (laughs) My nephew won the Australian Open three months ago and if he hadn’t been injured he would have won in Indian Wells, where he had a rib problem. That’s because Rafael’s level is high, as showed yesterday. In sport everything changes very quickly. We’ve seen it with football. Madrid had nothing to do with PSG, Chelsea or Manchester City and they win. The people who fight are usually there and Rafael he is a fighter. Do you want to dethrone Nadal? He didn’t even raise it with me, I know it’s normal for them to want to see a new figure but you also say ‘don’t give me up for dead so soon because I’m not a finished guy’. I limit myself to confirming a reality that I saw when people said that Rafael had no chance of winning Roland Garros, but when he goes out on the court and if he is minimally fit, he is a rival to take into account”.