'I wouldn’t want him to surpass Rafael': Uncle Toni Nadal won’t coach Carlos Alcaraz—here’s why

Uncle Toni Nadal, the long-time coach of his nephew Rafael Nadal, has weighed in on the comparisons between Carlos Alcaraz and Rafa. He admitted that he hopes the 22-year-old doesn't surpass the achievements of the Manacor-native. The 64-year-old coach guided Rafa through much of his career, being part of 16 of the 22 Grand Slam titles his nephew won.

The former world No. 1 retired at the end of 2024, but his grand farewell didn't truly come until the start of this French Open – where he secured 14 of his major titles. Rafa has consistently credited his uncle as "the most important person in his career."

After concluding his coaching relationship with his nephew, Toni Nadal worked for a time with Felix Auger-Aliassime, but hasn't taken on new roles coaching other stars on the Tour. However, he remains attentive to all current events in men's tennis, including the accomplishments of his compatriot Carlos Alcaraz – often compared to Nadal due to his early success in winning major trophies.

Uncle Toni recently participated in the Nude Project podcast, where he praised Alcaraz's excellent game, highlighting his ability to do basically everything well, from his shots to his movements and his mentality. The Spanish coach commented: "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 skillful. He fails a little sometimes, I don’t know if he’s distracted, or tactically, but he’s terrific," Nadal told the Nude Project.

During the podcast, Nadal was asked if he would consider coaching Alcaraz in the future. The young Spaniard currently holds 4 Grand Slam titles, 7 Masters 1000 titles, and a silver medal at the Olympic Games. "He certainly wouldn’t call me, he has enough good coaches," he said, referring to the team led by former French Open champion Juan Carlos Ferrero. "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."

Alcaraz is currently in the semifinals of Roland Garros, where he is the defending champion and holds a 12-match winning streak. The world No. 2 awaits his match against Lorenzo Musetti, where he will look to continue extending his dominance on the surface this past season.