Toni Nadal "surprised" at Rafael Nadal's run to Australian Open SF, says the Spaniard was on the verge of pulling out of the Slam

Rafael Nadal's uncle Toni Nadal has expressed his surprise at the Spaniard's remarkable run at the Australian Open. In an interview with Cadena SER, Uncle Toni revealed that his nephew initially felt he was in no position to compete in Melbourne. However, the excitement of returning to the tour after a long hiatus prompted Nadal to take the flight to Australia.

There were plenty of doubts surrounding Nadal's prospects in Melbourne, as he had only just recovered from a foot injury followed by a battle with COVID-19. But the World No. 5 has looked in top form at Melbourne Park, reaching the semifinals.

In the interview, Toni Nadal disclosed that his nephew was unsure whether he would be playing at the Australian Open just days before his flight. However, the next day, the former World No. 1 "perked up" and told his uncle that he would be traveling to the Happy Slam.

"Yes, I’m surprised, because I remember when three days before the start, Rafa called my youngest son to hit a few balls after being quarantined due to coronavirus. At nine o’clock, we went to train and during training, he said, ‘I don’t know if I’m going to go or not because at the moment I’m not in condition for an Australian Open’. They only had three days to get a flight," said Toni Nadal.

“The following day, he perked up and said ‘Okay, come on, I’m going’. I think it was more the excitement of competing and returning to competition than believing in himself," added the 60-year-old.

Rafael Nadal and Toni Nadal are among the most successful player-coach pairs in the history of tennis, having won 16 Grand Slam titles together. The two parted ways in 2017.

Rafael Nadal to lock horns with Matteo Berrettini in the semifinals of the Australian Open

Matteo Berrettini and Rafael Nadal at the US Open 2019

Rafael Nadal will square off against Matteo Berrettini in the semifinals of the Australian Open on Friday. The Italian is in red-hot form, having beaten the likes of Gael Monfils, Pablo Carreno Busta and Carlos Alcaraz en route to the semifinals.

Nadal leads the head-to-head battle 1-0, having defeated Berrettini in straight sets in the semifinals of the 2019 US Open.

The Spaniard is currently on a nine-match winning streak and is gunning for his second Australian Open title.