"He's already a very good player" - Carlos Moya on why Rafael Nadal is so easy to coach
Rafael Nadal has been under the radar for long stretches during the COVID-19 pandemic. He has not participated in any exhibition events in preparation for the restart of the season and his media appearances have also been few and far between during the lockdown.
The World No. 2 did, however, host a Facebook live session to announce that he will be joining hands with KIA and extending their partnership for another 5 years.
During the course of the live session, there was an interactive session on tennis and a fan Q&A, and Rafael Nadal's coach Carlos Moya also spoke about what it is like to coach the 12-time Roland Garros Champion.
We know we are on the right track: Moya on Rafael Nadal's return amid COVID-19
As reported by WeLoveTennis, Moya spoke about how easy it is to coach a player with the skill and ability, as well as humility, of Rafael Nadal.
"He's a fairly easy player to train," said Moya. "First of all, he's already a very good player which makes things easier, so that's a good point for the coach. Finally, Rafa is very humble."
The best players, are perhaps the ones who are always willing to change things up and improve and Moya certainly believes the 34-year-old is one of those players.
"He is always ready to evolve his game and continue to learn. In the end, I can say that it is a real pleasure for me to work with him," asserted the Spaniard.
Rafael Nadal hired Carlos Moya in 2016 after ending his long-standing partnership with his uncle- Toni Nadal, who was his coach since the Spaniard was 4 years of age, all the way up to when he was 30.
As he has admitted on numerous occasions, Moya was one of Rafael Nadal's idols growing up and he was born and brought up in the same area of Spain- Mallorca- as the World No. 2. Despite being very particular about his team and his routine, the partnership between Rafael Nadal and Carlos Moya seems to have clicked instantaneously, with the latter coaching the former to 5 Grand Slam titles.
Nadal has been seen practicing on clay in his academy amid the tennis return and after announcing his presence at the Madrid Masters, which is set to take place a day after the US Open Final, the Spaniard has added to the speculation about whether or not he will be present to defend his crown at Flushing Meadows.
On the subject of the lockdown, and how his protege will react, Moya said:
"It's never easy without playing for two months , that's obvious. But now I know that we are on the right track and training hard."