The uncle of tennis star Rafael Nadal, Toni Nadal, has announced he will be stepping down from being his nephew’s coach after this year’s ATP Tour.
The 55-year-old has been with the fourteen time grand slam champion since he was a teenager. Rafael Nadal’s big break came when he won the French Open as a teenager in 2005.
Speaking to the Italian magazine Il Tennis Italiano, Toni Nadal said he felt sidelined by other figures, namely Nadal’s father and his manager Carlos Costa.
“The truth is that every year I am making fewer decisions, to the point that I won’t be deciding anything any more,” he said.
But added that he won’t quit tennis completely and will concentrate on training emerging players.
“From next year I will no longer follow Rafael on the circuit but will dedicate myself exclusively to our academy,” he said.