"It's as if Jose Mourinho was making a comment about Real Madrid now": Rafael Nadal's uncle Toni on why he no longer offers the Spaniard career advice

Rafael Nadal's uncle Toni, who coached the Spaniard between 1990 and 2017 to 16 Grand Slam titles, spoke about his relationship with his nephew in a recent interview, stating that the duo still saw a lot of each other.

However, now that he is no longer his coach, the Spaniard admitted that he no longer offers career advice to the 22-time Grand Slam champion and rubbished the idea.

In Toni's mind, continuing to advise Rafael Nadal now would be similar to Jose Mourinho still commenting on Real Madrid despite having quit his position as manager of the Spanish football club 10 years ago.

"We usually see each other a lot. Obviously it has changed because I am not in his day to day. I have a normal uncle relationship," he said in conversation with Marca. "It's not up to me, I think it's not appropriate, it's as if Mourinho was making a comment about Real Madrid now."

The esteemed coach also touched on the 36-year-old's physical fitness at the moment, stating that he believes he has made a lot of progress in recovery. Toni Nadal made it clear that his nephew would never go out to compete unless he knew for certain he was capable of winning, meaning that his comeback was going to be an exciting time for both him and his fans.

"I think he's much better, but it's unknown. Let's not fool ourselves, when he goes to compete he needs certain guarantees that he can win. I don't think he'll go out and play if he doesn't look I am convinced that it will go well. He is excited," he said.

The former World No. 1 hasn't played any competitive tennis since his second-round exit at the Australian Open at the start of the year, where he picked up a hip injury. Now in recovery, the southpaw has already started practicing for the clay swing and is expected to be back in action at the Monte-Carlo Masters in April.

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"It's not a thing that worries him too much" - Rafael Nadal's uncle Toni on Spaniard leaving the top 10 after 912 straight weeks

Rafael Nadal has slipped out of the top 10 after 912 consecutive weeks

Due to his prolonged absence from the tour, Rafael Nadal had to relinquish his position from the top 10 of the ATP rankings earlier this week after having held it for a record 912 consecutive weeks. However, his uncle Toni insisted that it did not worry him too much, as the 22-time Grand Slam champion was aware it was going to happen if he stayed on the sidelines for too long.

"He is aware that to be in the top 10 you have to play constantly. He knew this was going to happen. It's not a thing that worries him too much either. The important thing is that when he goes out to play he feels convinced that he can win and is on the way to achieve it, knowing that things every year are more difficult," he said.