Freshly-crowned Roland Garros champion Rafael Nadal has not lifted the Wimbledon trophy in nine years, but his uncle Toni Nadal, who has coached him for the majority of his career, believes the Spaniard is finally ready to end that drought.
Nadal, a title winner at the All England Club in 2008 and 2010, picked up an 18th grand slam crown on Sunday by defeating Dominic Thiem in the French Open final – his record-extending 12th success on Parisian clay.
Toni, who stopped travelling with his nephew as a coach at the end of 2017, was in attendance, along with the entire Nadal clan, in the French capital and is convinced that a Wimbledon title is very much on the table.
“When I talked with him today, I told him, ‘I think you have the possibility to win Wimbledon this year again’,” Toni said in Paris on Sunday.
Last season, Nadal reached his first semi-final at Wimbledon since 2011 but ended up losing it in a tight two-day, five-set affair with Novak Djokovic.
“Last year he was very close, I think he had the possibility to win and I want to hope that this year will be possible,” Toni said.
“I know Federer is there, Djokovic is there, Dominic, many good players, but I think that Rafael has the possibility, because it’s impossible to work well without confidence. So he has to think that.”
Nadal is now just two grand slam titles behind Federer’s all-time men’s record of 20, and many believe that mark is well within the Spaniard’s reach.
His coach, Carlos Moya, quickly dismissed any talk of Nadal catching up with Federer.
“We don’t want to think about that now. Let us enjoy a little bit. It’s been two tough months, let’s enjoy this win here and we’ll see what’s happening next,” Moya said after the Roland Garros final.
Nadal says Federer’s record is “a motivation, but not an obsession”. Toni realises the opportunity is there, but is also aware of the fact that his nephew is 33 years old and is trying to stave off the challenge of the tour’s next generation of stars.
“Now the most important thing is to have the title here in Roland Garros, and I’m sure in the next weeks he can think about being only two behind Roger,” Toni said.
“We know, or I think he knows, that every year is more difficult to win something. Today was difficult with Dominic, and every year new generation people are coming who can play hard. They are really good and Rafael would be one year older, it’s not easy, but we can see.”
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Rafael Nadal's 12 French Open titles - in pictures
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2005 (beat Mariano Puerta 6-7, 6-3, 6-1, 7-5): At just 19, Nadal became the youngest winner of a grand slam title since Michael Chang won at Roland Garros in 1989 at 17. He was the first man since Mats Wilander in 1982 to win the French Open on his debut. Puerta was to later fail a drugs test and handed an eight-year ban, eventually reduced to two years. Stephane Cardinale/ Getty Images -
2006 (beat Roger Federer 1-6, 6-1, 6-4, 7-6): Nadal became the first man to beat Federer in a major final, ending the Swiss star's hopes of holding all four majors at the same time. It was Nadal's 60th win in a row on clay. Clive Brunskill / Getty Images -
2007 (beat Roger Federer 6-3, 4-6, 6-3, 6-4): Nadal, 21, became the first man since Bjorn Borg in 1980 to win three successive titles at Roland Garros. He again also shattered Federer's hopes of becoming only the third man in history to hold all four majors. Clive Brunskill / Getty Images -
2008 (beat Roger Federer 6–1, 6–3, 6–0): Nadal condemned his great rival to his worst ever loss in a grand slam event. The Spaniard also won the title without losing a set, becoming the third man to do so in the Open era after Ilie Nastase and Borg. Julian Finney / Getty Images -
2010 (beat Robin Soderling 6–4, 6–2, 6–4): Nadal avenged his defeat to the Swede at Roland Garros 12 months earlier. Again, Nadal finished the tournament without having dropped a set. He also regained the world No 1 ranking for the first time since July 2009. Julian Finney / Getty Images -
2011 (beat Roger Federer 7-5, 7-6, 5-7, 6-1): Nadal claimed his sixth French Open to equal the record of Borg, also taking his major total into double figures at 10. Federer had ended Novak Djokovic's 43-match undefeated run in the semi-finals. Jacques Demarthon / AFP -
2012 (beat Novak Djokovic 6–4, 6–3, 2–6, 7–5): Nadal goes past Borg's record of six titles and ends Djokovic's bid to be the first man since Rod Laver in 1969 to hold all four majors. Rain meant that the final was completed on Monday which was tough on Djokovic who was a break up in the fourth set when the match was halted for the night. Clive Brunskill / Getty Images -
2013 (beat David Ferrer 6–3, 6–2, 6–3): Nadal comfortably beats his compatriot for an eighth French Open but the hard yards were achieved in the semi-finals when he defeated Djokovic 6–4, 3–6, 6–1, 6–7, 9–7 in a 4-hour 37-minute epic. Kenzo Tribouillard / AFP -
2014 (beat Novak Djokovic 3-6, 7-5, 6-2, 6-4): Title No 9 in his ninth final for Nadal and his 14th grand slam success on an afternoon where temperatures nudged 30 degrees. It was his 45th career clay-court title. Miguel Medina / AFP -
2017 (beat Stan Wawrinka 6-2, 6-3, 6-1): Nadal coasts to a record 10th French Open title, demolishing Wawrinka in a brutally one-sided final which also earns the Spaniard a 15th grand slam crown. Nadal, 31, becomes the first man in history to win the same major 10 times. It is his most one-sided final win since allowing Federer just four games in the 2008 final. Julian Finney / Getty Images -
2018 (beat Dominic Thiem 6-4, 6-3, 6-2): Nadal moves to 17 grand slam titles with a straightforward victory over Austrian Thiem. Nadal endured a nervy conclusion to the final, however, when he needed treatment in the third set for a finger injury. Charles Platiau / Reuters -
2019 (beat Dominic Thiem 6-3, 5-7, 6-1, 6-1): Nadal overcomes dropping the second set by racing to victory over Thiem for the second successive year. The 33-year-old, seemingly angered by losing a set in the final for the first time since 2014, crushes the Austrian in the third and fourth sets to make it 12 titles and take his win-loss record at Roland Garros to a staggering 93-2. Christophe Ena / AP Photo -
2020 (beat Djokovic 6-0, 6-2, 7-5): One of the most dominant displays of Nadal's spellbinding career as he takes Djokovic apart in straight sets. Served it out to love with an ace. 13 French Open titles. 100-2 at Roland Garros. Astonishing. Reuters -
2022 (beat Casper Ruud 6-3, 6-3, 6-0): Another stunning display from the Spaniard against the Norwegian eighth seed appearing in his first Grand Slam final. All the more incredible as Nadal had been struggling for months with injuries. Now 112-3 at Roland Garros. Getty
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Nadal was once again emphatic on the French Open’s terre battue, dropping just two sets en route to the title - one against David Goffin in the third round and one against the fourth-seeded Thiem in Sunday’s final.
He maintained his intensity throughout the two weeks in Paris, and upped the ante against Thiem, winning 23 out of 27 of his net points in a devastating display of attacking tennis.
Toni says that Nadal’s resilience and determination are innate traits.
“I think it’s a natural thing for him. Picasso said, ‘When the inspiration arrives, I have to be working’; it’s the same for a painter, the same for a sportsman, for a journalist, for everyone. Inspiration is good one day, but it’s the work that matters,” said 58-year-old Toni.
“I remember when I practiced with him when he was really young. For me every practice was the same like the final, because I can’t understand life without this commitment in the work. That is what he has done during many years.
“Then I think for him it was nothing special to do this every day. At the end, when you can do this, you have a big personal satisfaction and that’s the most important thing in life.”
Still, Toni stresses the fact that being a hard-worker doesn’t mean Nadal is not a gifted tennis player.
“I think the passion is very important. But of course he has very good talent. Many times I heard that he has normal talent,” Toni said.
“When he arrives to one ball there and makes this [hits a curling forehand] and the ball goes on the line, that’s big talent.
“He has 18 grand slams, even though 15 times he couldn’t play in grand slams. If he had won some of these 15, then we would be talking differently.”
