Toni Nadal was "surprised" Rafael Nadal withdrew from Wimbledon—and admits he wasn't impressed by the level of play in Novak Djokovic's Roland Garros semifinal conquest of the 13-time champion.
In a wide-ranging interview with Spanish publication Marca, Toni Nadal, Rafa's uncle and original coach, also offers his views on how Roger Federer will fare at Wimbledon and Djokovic's quest to claim the Golden Slam.
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Read the full Marca interview here.
Twenty-time Grand Slam champion Nadal's decision to opt out of Wimbledon surprised his uncle.
"Yes I was surprised," Toni Nadal told Marca. "It's true that he had a few small problems, but obviously I thought he would play."
Toni Nadal, who is tournament director for the Mallorca Championships, believes its "very difficult, but possible" for world No. 1 Djokovic to complete the Grand Slam this season.
Though many former champions, media and fans praised Djokovic's pulsating victory over Nadal in the Roland Garros semifinals en route to his 19th major championship, Uncle Toni points to his nephew's error count in that clash as one reason why he doesn't view it as a high-quality, classic clash.
"I didn't find it at a particularly high level. When you look at the last set, yes. It is true that he won very good points, but Rafael failed more than usual," Toni Nadal told Marca. "He made 55 unforced errors and that made it easier for Djokovic to play better. If you look at Rafael's numbers from 2020 to 2021, there's a difference.
"In the end it is a balance, when one goes up the other goes down and the other way around. I didn't see an incredibly good match. I read that it was said that the level was very high, with superlative adjectives, and I did not see it that way. My brother Michelangelo called me to ask me how I had seen him and I told him exactly this."
Toni Nadal reveals his coaching agreement with Felix Auger-Aliassime is a verbal commitment.
Reflecting on the Canadian's win over his tennis hero, Roger Federer, in Halle last week, Toni Nadal says the eight-time Wimbledon winner has the skills to beat anyone at SW19, but says the 39-year-old Swiss superstar's ability to sustain a lofty level of play in best-of-five-set matches for two weeks is at question.
"I saw him play in Halle with Felix and the third set cost him," Toni Nadal said. "It's usually not easy for him to play a series of five-set matches.
"Federer has the quality to beat anyone, what I don't know is whether he's able to play high-intensity matches for two weeks. With Roger you can expect anything."
Photo credit: Rafa Nadal Tennis Centre