Antonio 'Toni' Nadal is a Spanish tennis coach who was born in Manacor, Spain, on February 21, 1961. Most famous for being the uncle and coach of all-time great Rafael Nadal, Toni has made his own pedigree on the ATP Tour and has enjoyed ample success.
Growing up in a sporting family paved the way for Toni to become intrinsically involved in the industry. Choosing not to follow in the footsteps of his professional footballer brother, Toni was a dab hand at table tennis, winning the junior championship in the Balearic Islands.
While the manager and tennis coach at Manacor Tennis Club, Toni started to coach nephew Rafael in 1990. Ever since then, it was a family affair, with Toni and Rafa becoming an inseparable duo. Together, the pair won 14 French Open titles, 3 US Open titles, 2 Wimbledon crowns, an Australian Open (including a Career Golden Slam), and 36 ATP Masters 1000s.
Part of such success comes down to his methods, with the Spaniard admitting he occasionally put too much pressure on his nephew. Some turbulent results for Rafa in the mid-2010s prompted calls to sack Toni as coach, and the departure was made official in 2017 when the uncle decided it was best for the two to part ways, ending their 27-year player-coach relationship.
Toni remained out of the professional game for a few years before being brought back into it by Canadian talent Felix Auger-Aliassime. He has helped the youngster to his first handful of ATP senior titles after he had made an unwanted habit of losing in finals.
Toni sparked some controversy when Auger-Aliassime and his nephew Rafael faced off at Roland Garros 2022, stating how he wanted Rafa to win despite being Auger-Aliassime’s coach at the time. Ultimately, this did not have much bearing on his job, as he remained part of the Canadian’s coaching team.
All in all, the Spaniard has contributed to over 74 singles career titles for the two players he has coached and remains an integral part of the tennis world. Over the years, he has earned himself the fond nickname of ‘Uncle Toni'.
