Toni Nadal, Rafael Nadal's uncle and former coach, stated that his nephew will play this Sunday against Serbian Novak Djokovic “the most difficult final” of the previous twelve he has played, and also won, at Roland Garros.
“Rafael has to hurt his right hand, he knows he has to take another step (against the world's number one)”, Toni Nadal told IB3 Television this Saturday from the academy of the current Roland Garros champion, which he directs in the Mallorcan town of Manacor.
“I trust a lot in what (his nephew) does. When he has sought his level he has done it, but this Sunday he must be especially successful,” he said. Toni Nadal believes that “conditions, both on the court and on the ball, are totally favorable to Djokovic.” “Even so, I trust that things will go well,” he stressed.
The Spanish tennis player will face the Serbian in the grand final of the Parisian tournament in search of his 20th Grand Slam. If he succeeds, he would tie with the Swiss Roger Federer in the number of titles in the great world tennis competitions.
The twelve finals won by the Mallorcan have been against Argentine Mariano Puerta (2006); the Swiss Roger Federer (2006, 2007, 2008 and 2011); the Swede Robin Soderling (2010); the Serbian Novak Djokovic (2012 and 2014); the Spanish David Ferrer (2013); the Swiss Stanislas Wawrinka (2017) and the Austrian Dominic Thiem 2018 and 2019).