Manacor is in Mallorca, it is an orange place as is much of Spain, where you want to bounce the ball and maybe it is such a love for tennis that most fields are painted brick dust, most are spancards. Specializes in that powder and large pieces of crust are, in fact, beaten more on clay than on any other surface. One day, a three-year-old boy’s small sneakers were smeared in orange.
Antonio sees brother Sebastian arriving at his home The court With the tennis player his son Rafael, the surname that unites him, the rest of the story is written alone, without help, with Nadal represented the balls in the family by his uncle and nephew for 27 years, the youngest in training The designation of the youngest children was more easy to implement. Though from the outside, inside, among them, Tony has always considered himself “more of an instructor than a coach”.
We know this because it is sacred to be written. Uncle has hit the keys a lot over the years Go count “El País”, in an earlier format, was about Nadal in what was going on in his soul, a racket in his hand, tennis, experience on the circuit and the players with whom he crossed paths, all coming from head to head in history. , To study geography and law, and a rich dose of humanism each time he took on the role of scribe.
In one of them, in 2017, Tony Nadal announced that he was going to cut the cord professionally with his nephew, the time had come, it had been 27 years now “more gentle than irritable and flattery” More demand “. Because of which Rafa grew up and won, all emerged victorious and led the magnificent path on which he still walks. “I saw him more as a point of dissatisfaction than a good thing, I always passed on all responsibility to him,” wrote, Turning the explanation beyond clear, as the style proved to be his coaching style.
Adam pretty
Or as an instructor. The clues to understand that Tony likes it may lie in the fact that he is “a lover of demand more than effort”, which is practical to judge if the trick unlocks almost everything and “is of little consequence if it There is no enduring idea that something better to develop and develop. ”Therefore, on the edge of his nephew, he was” a character with a flattering tendency and always willing to comment on what is less enjoyable to listen to “. – To tell the truth, summarize the proverb.
Since the 2018 season, Tony Nadal has only focused on Mannecour, being the director of Rafa’s Tennis Academy, by refraining from going to some extent in a tournament, his nephew has already won 11 other titles and four Grand Slam tournaments. Jeet hai, in the joy of victory, his uncle was not there to make him, it would be to celebrate him as a family.
After all, their last sneaker with each other was no glory. “Rafael did not progress beyond the first game of the group stage. I was confident in their ability to resist, but there was no knee pain. ” rememberedAlready in November of last year, when talking about the meaning of the ATP Finals (former Masters Cup), the end of the season tournament where he said goodbye.
Tony devoted himself entirely to the tennis academy at Manacore from then on, settled on the home couch to watch the tournament and kept a frequency of articles during these three and a half years, to describe the man cited above. Summarize the lesson pieces, instructor and illustrate the person who is back now The boxes, The place of the tennis stadiums where you sit Circle Each player inside Court
Alexander Hasenstein / Getty
This month, it was revealed that Felix Auger-Alassime had proposed to Uncle Nadal to return to practice with a tennis player during the year, outside the circuit, as he did with his nephew and never anyone else. Did not try with. Felix may not be Rafa, but he is none – Canadian, born 21 years ago and the current number is 21 category, Has long risen in the hopes of being one of the next great tennis players on the planet, able to compete for the biggest Grand Slam.
It is a prodigy, seen in a way that soon the racket in hand began to be tracked. He lived for 14 years and 11 months when he won the Challenger tournament match and became the youngest to achieve it; He was 16 the day he won his first senior title; And at his current age he is already among the disputed seven finalists in ATP circuit events. It was a promise to address the invitation.
It appeared “a few months ago”, Felix asked him if “it was possible to collaborate with him”, Tony said positively, he continued to say that he was “lucky all his life” and returned alone. , Because “he trained” good guy who had good results and “now is the only opportunity” to see a youngster in Canada “very young, with a good education and a chance to be a very good tennis player” .
After spending 10 days in December, Neral concluded, training with Augir-Alassime and meeting him in Manécor, “figuring out if I could help them” at the gym, sand to the eye under the guise of justification. soon CondemnedIn an interview with ATP’s “Tennis TV”, as he actually intended: “I will not work with an abusive person or with values. Felix is a good man, a good dedication. He is young.” , Is likely to become a good tennis player. I don’t care if anyone has a great talent or not, I care about helping improve every day. “
The 60-year-old Tony Nadal does not have the idea of making a ubiquitous trailer on the outside circuit. “You will come together during the important tournament”, Clarified Félix smiles to accept the “privilege” of all those on the team “as a coach, mentor and mentor” who accompany him everywhere during the season (other than a physical trainer and a physiotherapist , Frédéric Fontang) your primary technician).
It was no coincidence that everything had gone public in the last few weeks, when the clay track season began and the tennis players’ lives turned orange. Tony Nadal would have his own shares to give in this matter and the collaboration, speaking at the tournament, began at the Monte Carlo Masters. And it started with a defeat: Auger-Alissime lost, Tuesday, in the first round with Chilean Cristian Garin (7-6 (3) and 6-1).
After attending the Madrid Masters at Roland Garros and Wimbledon, there will be an early departure, Rafael Nadal must also stop at places where injuries are allowed. If the draw and games dictate that the Spanish cross with Canada, Nadal will not exist between them. “From the beginning, I made it clear that I would not sit in Box No one. I never would have accepted this job. If Rafa did not want to do, he guaranteed it.
It is not that the nephew is teasing himself, or unhappy, with his new partnership, said the Earthen Emperor, whom “he does not have to ask about which trains” and said that he was “very happy” that his Uncle “was back”. And it also rained in the wet, because he was “sure it would be a great help to Felix”. It will always be an idea to have a Nadal in your corner.
