Rafael Nadal’s uncle Toni Nadal takes a dig at Novak Djokovic stating that the World No. 1 is nowhere the player he was ten years ago.

(L-R)Toni Nadal and Novak Djokovic. (credits: Tennis365, Tennis World USA)

22-time Grand Slam winner Rafael Nadal‘s uncle Toni Nadal has been a true lover of the sport and a constant figure in the realm of tennis for many years now. Despite the fact that he had been the coach and the physical trainer of his own nephew for nearly 30 years, he has always delivered sharp and brave judgments about the workings of the sport.

Recently in an interview with the media outlet, Huelva Informacion, he talked about the changes that have taken place recently in the sport. When asked about whether or not he likes watching the new generational tennis, he responded that the fact that players are not as tactical as the previous generation annoys him a lot.

He also used the reference to World No. 1 Novak Djokovic saying that even his game has dropped by a huge margin and that he isn’t the same player as he was a decade ago. He also stated that the Serbian’s level has taken a drop and that the new generational stars should start improving their game by using new tactics and techniques.

He said:

The reality is that the one who continues to win is Djokovic, a Djokovic who is not from 2011 or 2015, but an inferior Djokovic because it is normal that, over the years, his level has lowered.

oni Nadal gives his take on the technical abilities of the present tennis stars:

Toni Nadal also talked about the fact tennis looks great to watch because of its physical and mental challenges. But the sport has suffered a major setback in terms of creativity and tactical brilliance because of how much the players rely on the ball’s speed.
(L-R) Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner. (credits: NU, Tennis365)
Here is what he said:

I like sport when it is a combination of physical and mental improvement and nowadays in tennis, because of the speed at which the ball goes and what is done on the court, it is difficult to set a tactic. Sport is now so technified that there is little room for creativity. There are very good players, such as Sinner or Alcaraz, but what has increased is the average level of technique and the players' hits.

Toni Nadal added

Toni Nadal talked about the new generational stars such as Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz and stated that they rely too much on power and not tactical brilliance. Their athleticism is top notch which makes the sport even more challenging but due to the sport turning technical nowadays, the players are failing to do creative things on the court, he felt.