Rafael Nadal and his uncle Toni has been one of the most successful partnerships in tennis history. Toni has managed to give all the right inputs to his nephew, but he admitted that his role has been diminishing for the last few years, and he won’t follow him in 2018.

Why I am leaving Rafa as a coach. TONI

Even if Toni is still enjoying a great relationship with Rafa, he thinks it is time for him to make a move, and he really loves the project of the Rafael Nadal Academy.

During a recent interview with Il Tennis Italiano, the Spaniard made his revelation

“By next year I won´t follow Rafael on the Tour anymore, but I will work only in our academy. I want to take care of the formation of young talents, which is the most important moment in a tennis player´s growth.

The relationship with my nephew has always been good; over all these years we never had anything to argue about.

Until he was 17, I decided everything, then the agent Carlos Costa came, his father got closer, and everybody had his own opinion. And the truth is that every year I decide even less, until the point that I won´t decide anything anymore!

I traveled with Rafa for many years; now I want to deal with the training of the young people and our Academy is the ideal place.”

It is plausible that Toni’s role will be taken by Rafa’s mentor Carlos Moya.
We will definitely miss Toni on tour, and we will try to enjoy him in 2017.