Tennis icon Rafael Nadal’s uncle and former mentor, Toni Nadal, has advocated for significant changes to reduce the intensity in the sport, stating that decreasing racket sizes could help prevent injuries amid a demanding tournament schedule. This proposal, if implemented, may disrupt the established hierarchy as players would need to adjust their techniques.
Toni has expressed concerns that tennis has become overly focused on sheer power, positioning himself as a prominent critic of this trend. He emphasized the increasing speed of the ball as a primary issue leading to injuries, noting the diminishing presence of strategic players like Federico Coria and Gaston Gaudio in the current tennis landscape.
In an interview with La Gazzetta dello Sport, Toni emphasized the need to slow down the game to prevent injuries caused by the high-intensity and forceful movements dominating modern tennis. He highlighted the current emphasis on hitting the ball with maximum power, attributing this approach to the rising number of player injuries.
Contrary to his uncle’s views, Rafael Nadal has long supported the idea of using smaller rackets in tennis to create a less aggressive playing environment. He believes that this change would benefit amateur players while posing a challenge for professionals, ultimately resulting in a less forceful game.
Toni Nadal expressed skepticism about the likelihood of tennis authorities addressing his concerns, noting a preference among management to maintain the status quo to benefit top players. Drawing parallels with football’s evolution, he suggested that tennis could learn from the sport’s adaptation of new rules post the Italia ’90 World Cup to enhance the game’s dynamics.
During their successful partnership until 2017, Toni guided Rafael to 14 Grand Slam victories, although the ATP Finals title remained elusive for the legendary player. Toni attributed this missed opportunity to the tournament’s surface not favoring Rafael and highlighted the resistance to change within tennis as a barrier to improvement.
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