“His opponents are weaker, less dedicated”

After the retirement of Rafael Nadal, Spain has a new player at the top of the world tennis. It's Carlos Alcaraz (22 years old), who won Roland Garros and the US Open this year, which he finished in first place in the ATP rankings.

Toni Nadal: “In the current circuit, it seems that our direct rivals have abandoned us”

Tony Nadalformer coach of Rafa, athlete with 22 Grand Slam titles, compared Nadal and Alcaraz, talking about their opponents.

“Everyone sees how much he achieves, his athleticism is incredible, he has everything he needs to be successful. In addition, he has an advantage that players of a few years ago did not have: his rivals are a little weaker, less dedicated than those of the past. He has a great rival, Jannik Sinner, it's true, one who is always present, but the others have fallen behind”, said the coach, quoted by Punto de Break.

“I remember perfectly that in Rafael's era, in addition to Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer, there were other top players such as Andy Murray, Juan Martín del Potro, David Ferrer or Stan Wawrinka, to name just a few. These players were always there […] In the current circuit, it seems that our direct rivals have abandoned usNadal added.

Toni was also asked about his current relationship with Rafa, and he confirmed that he is part of a united family:

“As a person, Rafael has remained the same, he continues to do the same things and behave the same, although it is true that he is now a father and has other concerns. I can personally assure you that nothing has changed since his retirement. My relationship with him is more of a friendship than an uncle-nephew one. We are a close family, we do a lot of things together, like play golf or have dinner, and I visit the kids often. We have a normal family relationship.”

During the time he was coached by his uncle (1990-2017), Rafa Nadal won 75 titles, including 20 Grand Slams.

Toni Nadal/Photo: Getty Images