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Tennis might have been brought to a halt by the coronavirus pandemic, but Rafael Nadal is back to the practice courts and getting ready for the resumption of the 2020 season. With just a little over a month to go for the ATP tour to restart, the World No. 2 is keeping himself active by training regularly at the Rafa Nadal Academy in Mallorca.
The Spaniard's uncle and former coach Toni Nadal, in an interview with Spanish daily 'La Razon' has now revealed how the 19-time Grand Slam champion is coping with the challenging situation. Toni also spoke about how much of an impact the suspension of the tennis tour has caused to the 34-year old Rafael Nadal.
Toni Nadal admitted that the past few months have been quite difficult, especially with the regular tennis tour remaining suspended. However, he added that Rafael Nadal is in good shape now and is looking forward to getting back on the tour.
"The time spent in isolation was quite long and complicated. We still don't know when this situation will end or when we will return to normal life. Slowly, slowly we are heading for normalcy. We started training. At least we have the feeling that we can work and it helps us a lot. Rafa started training. He does everything gradually, day after day, but he looks good," Toni Nadal said.
Although Rafael Nadal has confirmed his participation in the upcoming Madrid Masters and the French Open, the tennis world is not yet out of the crisis. In fact, ever since Novak Djokovic's Adria Tour snowballed into a disaster, the sport has been flung into a precarious situation.
The ATP tour, which plans to restart from 14 August, could be jeopardized by the ramifications of the Adria Tour. But Toni Nadal expressed hope that things become 'normal' soon, and that the players can get back to doing what they like best.
"The problem is what happens after this period. How reconstruction will begin and return to normal life," Toni Nadal added.
Many believe the pandemic will be especially tough for people like Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic, who are well into their 30s. But Toni believes the youngsters will also be adversely affected, as they have to start all over again when the tour resumes.
"I don't think anyone benefited from this period," Toni said. "Top players missed almost a year in which they could win tournaments. Everyone is at a disadvantage, there is no room for discussion. Those who were ready to make the leap have now been pulled back."
For the Big 3, age is a crucial factor and Toni Nadal is fully aware of what it means for his nephew, Rafael Nadal. Time isn't the best friend for them, as their years on the tour are now numbered - which makes the suspension of tournaments all the worse.
"Think of Rafa, when he was a kid and ranked 70th in the world, he wasn't too affected if that happened. But now, this period can cost him a Grand Slam tournament. Think that Djokovic, Federer or Nadal are at an age when they don't have many options," ex-coach Toni Nadal observed.
Rafael Nadal has never broken a racquet in his life: Toni Nadal
Although Rafael Nadal's playing style is power-dependent, the Mallorcan has never engaged in any kind of overtly aggressive behavior on the court. Toni Nadal, who has been coaching the 19-time Grand Slam champion for a majority of his extremely successful career, revealed that even as a kid Rafa never let his frustration out on the racquet.
"Rafa never broke a racquet and did not have a rebellious phase in adolescence," Toni said. "He was an educated child, who behaved normally. There are so many, don't think it's just Rafa. However, in the world of tennis there are few who have never broken a racquet. You can't say that person is not educated, but that he had a moment when he lost control."
Unlike Roger Federer, whose early years on the tour were quite rough, Rafael Nadal has never found himself in embarrassing situations. That could perhaps be due to the lessons from Toni; the senior Nadal trained his nephew with a strict hand, preparing him to face any obstacle and toughening his mental skills for difficult matches.
"Yes, but I was tough because I think a person needs to be prepared for any situation, especially the difficult ones. You can't make decisions at times if you're not prepared a little harder. I think he felt I was tough, but he understood it was for his own good," Toni Nadal confessed.
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