Rafael Nadal's Uncle Toni Answers Whether He Would Consider Coaching Carlos Alcaraz
NewsThursday, 05 June 2025 at 10:00
Carlos Alcaraz now knows whether he could ask Toni Nadal if he ever needs a new coach after Rafael Nadal's uncle was asked about it on a podcast.
Juan Carlos Ferrero has been Alcaraz's coach since September 2018. They share a close bond, and the four-time Grand Slam champion has spoken several times about the 2003 French Open winner's influence on him.
However, Ferrero is open about not wanting to coach Alcaraz throughout his entire career. Samuel Lopez was hired as a second coach in December 2024, and it is uncertain whether he might eventually become the 22-year-old's primary coach.
Alcaraz should not waste his time ringing Toni Nadal. Speaking on the Nude Project Podcast, the 64-year-old does not think Alcaraz would ever be interested in hiring him, but his close relationship with legendary nephew Rafael means he would say no anyway.
"He certainly wouldn’t call me, he has enough good coaches. I don’t think he needs my help at all. And if he did call me, well, I wouldn’t want him to surpass Rafael, otherwise I’d have a problem."
Toni also praised Alcaraz during the same interview. He pointed out his various strengths and thinks the former ATP world No. 1 has only one weakness. The experienced coach also prefers his game to Jannik Sinner's.
"Tennis-wise, I think he’s terrific. He does everything, and he does everything well. He’s the fastest, he has devastating shots, both forehand and backhand. On the serve, which is perhaps his least good, but I think he also has a good serve."
"He’s skilful. He fails a little sometimes, I don’t know if he’s distracted, or tactically… but he’s terrific. For me, I like Alcaraz more than Sinner, but nowadays, he (Sinner) is a bit more reliable than Alcaraz. Alcaraz, I’m telling you, an extraordinary player."
Those admiring words about Alcaraz's game contrast with Toni's more blunt message in another part of the interview. He did not have any sympathy for his compatriot's complaints about the length of the tennis calendar and feeling enslaved to the sport.
Toni told Alcaraz to find another job if he finds the stresses and strains of professional tennis too much. He also reminded the young star about the perks available to top athletes compared to most people his age.
Tennis would undoubtedly be worse off if Alcaraz stopped playing. His emergence is arguably the most important development in the last decade because he plays an electrifying brand of tennis that makes him a crowd favorite worldwide.
Alcaraz is two victories away from defending the French Open title he won last year. On Friday, he will face Lorenzo Musetti, a man many think should have been disqualified in his quarterfinal against Frances Tiafoe.
Musetti kicked a ball in frustration during that match, which accidentally hit a line judge on the chest. The umpire decided to give him a warning instead of a default, which seemed inconsistent with other rulings in similar cases.
Tiafoe was furious about the umpire's decision and called it comical. Musetti will try to take advantage of his good fortune by upsetting Alcaraz in the semifinal.
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