Toni Nadal in an interview about the best tennis player of all time

In tennis, there is no getting around Toni Nadal. His nephew, Rafael Nadal, has won 16 Grand Slam titles under the guidance of arguably the most successful coach in the history of the sport.

Toni Nadal regularly travels to the Rafa Nadal Tennis Center at the Sani Resort in Chalkidiki, Greece, during the summer. There he oversees tennis training at the highest level. The center is part of the Rafa Nadal Academy, which is based in Mallorca.

Euronews spoke to Toni Nadal in Chalkidki about his philosophy as a top coach and his opinion on the best tennis players of all time.

“Who played better? Federer. Who is the best? Djokovic,” Nadal answered directly when asked who the best tennis player of all time was. “Djokovic played the longest and won more titles than the others.”

“Who could be the best without injuries? My nephew (Rafa), but he has a lot of injury problems. In the end, Djokovic is the best, but in my opinion, what I saw on the court when Federer played, nobody managed to do.” “

So much for the best players in the sport. Euronews also asked Nadal how world-class players are created.

“Number 1 is born that way. You are born a champion with talent. But you also have to work hard because relying on natural talent alone is usually not enough.”

According to Nadal, this also applies to other disciplines. “Of course, it is not easy to achieve what Federer has achieved. Just as it is difficult to become Messi, but you can be a very good tennis player, or footballer, if you are prepared to work hard.”