Tony Nadal claims tough love shaped Rafael Nadal's career, says he once thought it was "impossible" for his nephew to win 20 Slams
Rafael Nadal has played himself into form during the claycourt season and is once again the firm favorite to defend his title at Roland Garros this year. The Spaniard is a 13-time champion in Paris, and is looking for his fifth consecutive French Open crown.
The Spaniard won nine of those 13 Roland Garros titles and 14 out of his 20 Grand Slams under the tutelage of his uncle Toni Nadal.
In an interview with the BBC, Toni opened up about his two-decades-long partnership with his nephew and provided insights into what molded Rafael Nadal into one of the greatest players of .
"When I hit the ball to Rafael, he went towards it. He didn't wait for the ball to arrive to him," Toni said, referring to Rafael Nadal's early years. "Normally, when I sent a ball to a small kid, he stood and waited until the ball arrived at him. But my nephew, he went looking for it. For me, this was special."
In his 2011 autobiography, co-written by John Carlin, Rafael Nadal gave insights into his relationship with his uncle. The Spaniard described how his uncle used to shout at him, make him clean the clay and pick up balls after training.
Toni Nadal did not dispute what was written in the book and said he was confident his nephew could cope with whatever was thrown at him.
"I demanded a lot from Rafael because I cared a lot," Toni asserted. "I believe in the work and I believe in the players who are strong enough to cope with the intensity of this work. I cannot understand another style of life. In my opinion you always have to know your place in the world. This is why I was like this with Rafael. I knew he could cope."
Toni said it was important to ensure his nephew did not get carried away by his success as a youngster and kept working hard.
"I wanted him to know that everything he achieved at that age was not very important in terms of the bigger picture," Toni added. "I wanted to dampen the expectation. I wanted him to know it was only a little step and if he wanted to progress he had to continue to work very hard."
"I was hard on him, but not strict," he insisted. "I was tough for his greater good."
Rafael Nadal now stands on the brink of history. The Spaniard is on the hunt for a record-extending 14th title at Roland Garros, which would also ensure he surpasses Roger Federer's tally of 20 Grand Slams.
Weighing in on the Spaniard's feats, Toni Nadal said he never thought his nephew would go on to achieve all that he has in the game.
"If we could go back to when I started playing tennis with Rafael and you said he would win 20 Grand Slams or 21 Grand Slams, I would have said it was impossible," Toni said.
"But now because of the path he has taken - winning Grand Slams almost every year and improving his tally - it feels normal."
Toni says he worked on shaping Rafael Nadal's character rather than his technique
Rafael Nadal possesses one of the greatest forehands in the history of the game. His foot speed and court coverage are also unmatched, but it's his ability to fight for every point that makes him such a respected figure in the sport.
Toni refused to take credit for the development of his nephew's technique and said he focussed on shaping the Spaniard's character and mentality.
"I was a coach who took care more of forming and strengthening Rafael's character than to form him technically," Toni asserted. "I think I gave him the commitment to the sport, to be always with his brain active and alert, to never give up."