Toni Nadal hopes Rafa has “a few more years”.

Toni Nadal, former coach and uncle of Spanish tennis player Rafa Nadal, expressed this Thursday in Cáceres his hope that his nephew has “a few more years” left on the courts to succeed himself , “the big challenge” that The winner of 22 Grand Slam tournaments understood, in his opinion, from a very young age.

The Mallorcan arrived in the capital of Cáceres for the first time to give a speech during a conference on sports management, a day before traveling to Turin (Italy) to see the player who is now his partner, as he refers to Felix Auger- Aliassime, who will face Rafa Nadal in the ATP finals.

In the statement “Everyone can be coached”, he recounted his way of understanding sport and understanding life, “what we did” in reference to his time as coach for the Spanish tennis player until at the end of 2017.

“What I apply on the tennis court is the same as what I would apply outside. I believe in effort, in work, meritocracy, I believe in people who earn with the sweat of their brows, in the case of Rafael the sweat of the whole body, and that’s what I applied”, revealed in media statements.

The current director of Rafael Nadal’s academy declared that he did not miss the courts with his nephew, with whom he was “lucky to be with for many years” on the professional circuit. “But now I still have a good time, I want to help as much as possible in the evolution of young people,” he added.

In his opinion, with a little effort and need, it is not possible to be number one, because “it does not depend on oneself”, but it is possible to “succeed ourselves, which is the big challenge”.

“In the end, surpassing others is not always possible, surpassing yourself is the big challenge, this is what Rafael was obliged from a very young age, he understood it, and in life the main thing is to improve the most. ,” said his uncle.

Regarding the importance of mental and physical preparation, Toni Nadal wants to underline that, as in tennis, life has defeats to overcome, so, in his opinion, it is important “to strengthen the character so that those it will affect as little as possible.”

“We would have to ask ourselves if we are a little weaker every time, sorry to those who have problems and we must try to make effort as much as possible to make them well, but we also have to get used to it. the fact that things don’t necessarily go well,” he added.

Invited by the Diputación de Cáceres, Nadal gave one of the talks within the conference on sports management for the socioeconomic boost of the municipalities of the province organized today by the Cáceres institution.

Technical staff for the management and stimulation of administrations, social and sports associative fabric and professionals and companies with an interest in the matter participate in it.