Rafael Nadal’s uncle Toni will step down as the coach of the tennis player after the season, the uncle told an Italian magazine in an article publicized over the weekend.
Toni Nadal, who has coached Rafa throughout his entire career and helped turn him into a 14-time grand slam champion, feels like he has been marginalized by some of the people on Rafa’s team. That includes Carlos Costa and new coach Carlos Moya, as well as Rafa’s father.
“The truth is that every year I am making fewer decisions, to the point that I won’t be deciding anything any more!” Toni Nadal told Il Tennis Italiano.
By stepping down from coaching Rafa and following his nephew on tour, Uncle Toni says he will focus on coaching and training younger players at Rafa’s tennis academy in Mallorca, Spain.
Though Uncle Toni is upset, new coach Carlos Moya seems to have helped, as Rafa made the finals of the Australian Open before losing to Roger Federer in five sets. It was his best major finish since 2014.
