La Decima
Not as big as number 2: Toni Nadal
paris — Rafael Nadal is chasing a historic 10th French Open title in Paris, but nothing will ever come close to trying to win his second.
That’s according to his uncle and long-time coach, Toni Nadal.
When asked what it would mean if his nephew became the first player since tennis turned pro in 1968 to win 10 titles at the same grand slam event, Toni Nadal did not mince his words: “Nothing.”
“There is more difference between one and two than between nine and 10,” Nadal, 57, said in an interview with a small group of reporters in the hospitality lounge of one of the French Open’s sponsors, Lavazza coffee, at Roland Garros on Tuesday. He said his nephew had been “really nervous” when he had to defend his title in 2006.
“(To go from) nine to 10 is only 11 percent, no more,” Nadal added. “(To go from) one to two is 50 percent. This is the difference. The life of Rafael will not change if he wins this tournament for the 10th time. For us, it was very important to win nine times here, but eight, seven, six or five was also important.”
Toni Nadal first started coaching his nephew when he was four years old. His unusual training methods included persuading Rafael to play left-handed, even though he was naturally righthanded. Toni believed playing left-handed would give Rafael an advantage, and he proved to be correct. Under Toni’s guidance, Rafael has won 72 titles, including 14 grand slam championships. Nadal’s breakthrough was when he won the French Open in 2005 in his first appearance at Roland Garros at the age of 19. — Reuters