By �ngela Lara / BARCELONA
April 25, 2024
[Translated from Spanish by Emilita]
After Rafa, he doesn't contemplate coaching any other player
Rafa Nadal dedicated his victory in the Open Seat God� to his uncle and coach, Toni, as well as to all his family, some of whom like his father Sebastian or Sebastian's brother, Miguel Angel, were live at the final. "Without him I could not have done this", the Majorcan said referring to his coach and rightly so, since Toni Nadal was the one who discovered him and who was in charge of his preparation right from when he first held a racquet.
It's in the genes
Toni Nadal was one of this kids who, during his time as a student, dedicated his free time to playing sport, regardless of what sport it was, the point was just to do sport. The second of 5 brothers, Toni showed off his sporting talents from a young age, shining in various sports. A boarding school student in Palma, he was the Balear ping pong champion several times, even though he ended up turning his professional life towards tennis.
In the academic sphere, Toni wasn't as conscientious as he was when it came to sports, and he left 2 careers half done, one in law and the other in history, in which he didn't end up getting a degree. During the 80s he played tennis in the Second National Category and, years later, started being a coach at a club in Manacor, his home town.
As if it were thanks to a family gene, his brother Miguel Angel also opted for the world of sport and, in his case, for football, being successful in teams like the Spanish national team and FC Barcelona, while he currently helps out at the RCD Mallorca team. Now it's the second generation's turn. His nephew, Rafa, at just 18, his triumphing in the world of tennis and, like it couldn't be any other way, Toni was his discoverer and is now his coach.
"Rafa loved tennis and football a lot, but since he lived close to the club where I coached, he came one day and started to like it," Toni explains. Immediately, the young Majorcan tennis player lived up to the saying that "genes never fail" and he soon started to shine in both sports. Toni assures us that "ever since the first day, I saw Rafa's condition. At a young age he was winning all the tournaments of his age group at all levels. So, when he turned 11, I dedicated myself completely to him", he added.
At such a young age, the Majorcan coach saw Rafa's clear tennis talent and took on the double role of being uncle and coach. "Our family relation makes everything easy; what's more, Rafa is one of the easiest players to take around the tour: he's obedient, respectful...". Toni recognises. But, this situation also has its disadvantages and extra obligations. "On one hand, in the matches, I get more nervous than the rest of the coaches, because I see it more as a family member than as a coach", the second of the Nadal brothers indicates, and adds: "What's more, as an uncle, I also have the responsability of educating him, because we've spent a lot of time together since he was 4 years old". For Toni, above all, the most important thing is his nephew's education as a person and the sporting successes are something incidental. His goal is to instil into Rafa "responsability, humility and appreciation of life".
Tennis ends with Rafa
Without really knowing how, his nephew's great rise in professional tennis thrust Toni into the frenzy that is competition, something that, at first, hadn't even entered into his plans. "I like to be at home and go to some tournaments, but not dedicate myself "full time"", the God� champion's coach admits.
That's why, when he finishes working with Rafa, Toni doesn't plan to dedicate himself to coaching other tennis players. "After Rafa, I'm not thinking of continuing. I don't live off tennis, I have half negotiations with his father", he explains. And it's such that, being a homebody with 3 small children at home, Toni doesn't end up liking travelling almost the whole year from one place to another, wherever the competition takes him. "I like to see new places, that's why I try to do some sightseeing in the cities we go to, but I also like the quiet life. I also have 3 children", the Majorcan coach points out. For all that, Toni admits he's not wild on the idea of his kids one day dedicating themselves to professional tennis. "They play tennis, but as a hobby. If they had to be professional athletes, I'd prefer them to play football", he joked.
Football, reason for debate
If sport is one of the common denominators in the Nadal family, football, definitely, can become a cause of discussion. This family, very close and an example of unity, divides into 2 when it comes to the king sport. While half its members are fans of Real Madrid, the other half defend the azul grana colours of Barcelona. Miguel Angel Nadal was a Barcelona player, so he leads the followers of this group, in which Toni is also a part. Rafa is, however, the head of the Madrid supporters.
Spanish Version:
Toni Nadal, el hombre que forj� al campe�n
Despu�s de Rafa, no se plantea entrenar a ning�n tenista m�s
25/04/05 03:00 h.Rafa Nadal dedic� su triunfo en la final del Open Seat God� a su t�o y entrenador Toni, as� como a todos sus familiares, algunos de los cuales, como su padre Sebasti�n o el hermano de �ste, Miguel �ngel, presenciaron en directo la final. �Sin �l no podr�a haber hecho esto�, dijo el mallorqu�n en refencia a su preparador. Y no es para menos, ya que Toni Nadal fue su decubridor y quien se hizo cargo de su preparaci�n desde que cogiera la raqueta por primera vez.
De casta le viene al galgo
Toni Nadal era de aquellos ni�os que, en su etapa como escolar, dedicaba el tiempo libre a practicar deporte, daba igual cual fuera, el caso era hacer deporte. El segundo de cinco hermanos, Toni hizo gala desde peque�o de sus dotes deportivas para destacar en varias dispciplinas. Estudiante en un internado en Palma, se proclam� varias veces campe�n balear de ping pong, a pesar de que acab� encarrilando su vida profesional hacia el tenis.
En el aspecto acad�mico, Toni no era tan aplicado como para los deportes y dej� a medias dos carreras, la de derecho y la de historia, por lo que, finalmente no se sac� niguna licenciatura. Durante los a�os ochenta jug� a tenis en la Segunda Categor�a Nacional y, a�os despu�s, empez� a ejercer de entrenador en un club en Manacor, su ciudad natal.
Como si por obra y gracia de un gen familiar se tratase, su hermano Miguel �ngel tambi�n se decant� por el mundo del deporte, en su caso, por el futbol, triunfando en equipos como la selecci�n espa�ola o el F.C. Barcelona, mientras que en la actualidad milita en las filas del R.C.D. Mallorca. Ahora es el turno de la siguiente generaci�n. Su Sobrino Rafa, con tan solo 18 a�os, est� triunfando en el mundo del tenis y, como no pod�a ser de otra manera, Toni fue su descubridor y ahora su entrenador.
�A Rafa le gustaba mucho el tenis y el f�tbol, pero como viv�a cerca del club donde yo entrenaba, vino un d�a y se empez� a aficionar�, explica Toni. Enseguida, el joven tenista mallorqu�n corrobor� aquel dicho de que �la gen�tica nunca falla� y pronto empez� a despuntar en ambos deportes. Toni asegura que �desde el primer d�a vi las condiciones de Rafa. Desde peque�o fue ganando todos lo torneos de su edad a todos los niveles. As�, cuando cumpli� los 11 a�os, me dediqu� en exclusiva a �l�, a�adi�.
A tan corta edad, el t�cnico mallorqu�n vio claras las dotes ten�sticas de Rafa y asumi� el doble rol de t�o y entrenador. �Nuestra relaci�n familiar lo hace todo f�cil; adem�s, Rafa es uno de los jugadores m�s f�ciles de llevar de todo el circuito: es obediente, respetuoso...�, reconoce Toni. Pero, esta situaci�n tambi�n conlleva sus inconvenientes y obligaciones extra. �Por un lado, en los partidos me pongo m�s nervioso que el resto de entrenadores, porque lo veo m�s como familiar que como preparador�, se�ala el segundo de los hermanos Nadal, quien a�ade: �Adem�s, como t�o, tengo la responsabilidad de educarle, porque pasamos muchas horas juntos desde que �l ten�a cuatro a�os�. Para Toni, ante todo, lo m�s importante es la formaci�n de su sobrino como persona y los �xitos deportivos son algo circunstancial. Su objetivo es inculcar a Rafa �responsabilidad, humildad y agradecimiento a la vida�.
El tenis se acaba con Rafa
Sin comerlo ni beberlo, la buena progresi�n deportiva de su sobrino en el circuito ten�stico meti� a Toni en el ritmo fren�tico de la competici�n, algo que, en un principio, ni siquiera entraba en sus planes. �Me gusta estar en casa e ira a algunos torneos, pero no dedicarme 'full time'�, admite el entrenador del campe�n del G�d�.
Por ello, cuando finalice su labor con Rafa, Toni no tiene previsto dedicarse a la preparaci�n de otros tenistas. �Despu�s de Rafa, no me planteo seguir. No vivo del tenis, tengo negocios a medias con su padre�, explica. Y es que, de esp�ritu hogare�o y con tres hijos peque�os en casa, Toni no acaba de llevar muy bien lo de estar casi todo el a�o viajando de un sitio a otro, donde le lleve la competici�n. �Me gusta conocer sitios nuevos, por eso procuro hacer turismo en las ciudades que visitamos, pero tambi�n me gusta la vida tranquila. Adem�s, tengo tres hijos�, destaca el t�cnico mallorqu�n. Por todo ello, Toni reconoce que no le entusiasma la idea de que sus reto�os puedan dedicarse alg�n d�a al tenis de forma profesional. �Juegan a tenis, pero como hobby. Puestos a ser deportistas profesionales, preferir�a que se dedicasen al futbol�, brome�.
El futbol, motivo de debate
Si el deporte es uno de los denominadores comunes de la familia Nadal, el futbol, concretamente, puede convertirse en un motivo de discusi�n. Esta familia, muy bien avenida y ejemplo de unidad, se divide en dos bandos en lo relativo al deporte rey. Mientras la mitad de sus miembros son seguidores del Real Madrid, la otra mitad defiende los colores azul y grana de la camiseta del Barcelona. Miguel �ngel Nadal fue jugador barcelonista, por lo que encabeza el sector seguidor de este equipo, en el que se encuentra el propio Toni. Rafa, por su parte, es la cabeza visible de los madridistas.
**Thanks to Emilita for the translation. Please do not reproduce without giving credit to the original source and VamosRafael.com.**
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