You need to improve: Toni to Rafael Nadal after first Roland Garros trophy

On the 15th anniversary of Rafael Nadal's first triumph at Roland Garros, his uncle and long-time coach Toni Nadal said that his nephew's passion for the sport and love for competition remain undiminished.

Speaking in an interview with El Independiente, Toni Nadal lauded Rafael Nadal's commitment, and explained why he is still ruling over Paris even though a decade and a half have elapsed since that breakthrough run in 2005.

"That so much time has passed and he continues to be the favourite is explained by his commitment to what he is doing, from his passion, that he likes competition. Many years have passed, but he has the same desire to continue being there (on the podium)," Toni said.

Hace 15 años, Nadal ganaba su primer Roland Garros. Y su tío, lejos de la euforia, apuntó en un papel lo que había hecho mal en la final. Metió la nota por debajo de la puerta de su habitación. 🎾 "La victoria es la consecuencia de la mejora"https://t.co/agMHMbrEcJ

— Nacho Encabo (@NachoEncabo) June 5, 2020

But Toni is not alone in thinking that. Rafael Nadal himself said something similar about his 2005 Roland Garros win a few years ago:

"When I first came to Roland Garros in 2005, I was aware that if I managed to keep playing at the level (I did in) previous tournaments I might have a chance."

Rafael Nadal was the man to beat arriving at 2005 Roland Garros, on the back of title runs in Monte Carlo, Barcelona and Rome. But to the amazement of every tennis observer he still remains the man to beat in 2020, even with the tournament rescheduled to September amid the COVID-19 outbreak.

Toni Nadal had put a note under Rafael Nadal's hotel room after his 2005 Roland Garros win

Toni Nadal with his nephew Rafael Nadal at Roland Garros

Toni Nadal also talked about an interesting incident in the aftermath of Rafael Nadal's maiden title win at Roland Garros in 2005.

During the final against Argentine Mariano Puerta, Toni observed that his nephew was not much better than his opponent, and made a note about that. Hours after the match, Toni Nadal slid a piece of paper under Rafael Nadal's hotel room door, reminding him that there was still work to be done.

"The reality is that it was not the moment to tell him because he had to enjoy victory. But if I remember correctly, I put the note under the hotel door for him to read later."

The note said: "Victory is the consequence of improvement."

Toni Nadal reinforced the fact that Rafael Nadal has always looked to improve, despite his staggering achievements on the court.

"Rafael's goal was always to improve. He had no other goal. The victory is the consequence of the improvement, you don't want to be by chance."

Rafael Nadal has also reminisced fondly about his maiden Grand Slam triumph in the past. Having gone from 50th in the world to a Roland Garros winner in such a short time, the Spaniard was understandably ecstatic - but he also remembered the teachings of his uncle.

"Everything happened very fast. I went from being the 50th in the world to fighting for Roland Garros in two months. My head assimilated it well, calmly, I had received the proper education to prepare for something like this."

With the 2020 edition of Roland Garros scheduled to happen after the US Open, Toni Nadal also spoke about Rafael Nadal's chances of winning a record-extending 13th title at the tournament later this year:

"As long as he continues to win (matches), he will continue to be the favourite."