Spaniards Rafael Nadal and coach, Carlos Moya spend time together during a practice session ahead of the Rolex Paris Masters back in 2018. (Getty Images)
Spaniard Rafael Nadal also has a coach who used to play tennis
Arguably one of the fiery competitors around, Spaniard Rafael Nadal is one of the best the game of tennis has produced.
With 19 Grand Slams, Nadal is only second to Roger Federer, who has a record 20 titles under his kitty. However, Nadal is the only player in history to win 12 French Open titles.
No other player has managed to get close to his remarkable achievement. Once a teenage sensation, Nadal is nowhere that boy that he once used to be. A veteran of the game, Nadal will turn 34 this June.
Despite his age, Nadal is still known for his never-dying fighting spirit and competitiveness. However, Nadal, whose career has seen many ups and downs, largely due to injuries owes it to all to his coaches, who have helped him sustain at the top level all this while.
Nadal was coached by his uncle Toni, who nurtured him into a top tennis star from a very young age. However, he broke ties with him in 2017 in search of challenges. Now let’s take a look at the Spaniard’s current coach
Nadal is currently working with two coaches – Carlos Moya (Head coach) and Frances Roig (Alternate coach). However, it is Nadal’s fellow countryman and former on-court rival Moya, who is in charge of his training and preparations.
A series of injuries and poor form saw Nadal drop to a lowly ninth in the ATP rankings by the end of 2015. This made the Spaniard rethink about making some changes in his approach towards the game in a bid to improve his performances.
This led to Nadal hiring his former national teammate Carlos Moya into his coaching staff which was headed by Toni Nadal in December 2016. However, it was Toni, who was the first one to contact former World No.1 Moya as he thought it was the perfect time for him to join his nephews’ team.
In February 2017, Toni announced that he would be parting ways with his nephew. Moya took over from him as Nadal’s head coach since the 2018 season.
The Spaniard unlike his uncle, who was known to possess a harder coaching style, has acted more like a friend to Nadal that has helped Nadal revive his career after a series of injuries.
Moya has especially been responsible for bringing a change into his service motion since 2018. This has helped him perfect his serve and play a little more aggressively unlike before.
Also, this has helped Nadal, who has been struggling with injuries all over his career less prone to any further injury.
The coach-player duo has gone on to win three Grand Slam titles together and also reclaim the World No.1 spot in 2019. By doing so, Nadal became the oldest player in the Open Era to achieve such a feat.
A former World No.1, Moya was an immensely successful player to emerge from Spain before Nadal went on to establish himself as one of the greatest in the sport.
He is a one-time Grand Slam winner having won the 1998 French Open title and was a finalist at the 1997 Australian Open. He has 20 career titles to his name that includes three Masters titles. Moya is also a 2004 Davis Cup winner with Spain.
Moya, who began his career as a professional tennis player in 1995 announced his retirement from the game in 2010 owing to a long-standing foot injury from which he failed to recover.
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