'Thanks to the state of mind built by Toni’s coaching,' Marion Bartoli credits Toni Nadal for building Rafael Nadal’s competitive spirit

Toni put him in very difficult training conditions from a very young age, which allowed him to develop the skills of a fighter. We have the impression that it is innate, but it is mainly thanks to the state of mind built by Toni's coaching. For example, he explained that he brought him the most used bullets, or that he sometimes deliberately did not take a bottle of water. This developed in Rafa a competitive spirit that is unique. Marion Bartoli said. (H/T: We Love Tennis)

What did Toni Nadal reveal about his unique coaching methods?

The training methods mentioned by Marion Bartoli were revealed by Toni Nadal himself. He had revealed in October 2021 that he made Rafael Nadal play with used balls on purpose. He also revealed that he often extended training sessions and made his nephew put in the extra effort.

Toni made these comments when talking about the students at the Rafael Nadal Academy. He mentioned how the current generation of players lose control of emotions when things start to go downhill. He then claimed that this was the reason he put Rafael Nadal under testing conditions right from the start.

I see him at the academy. A lot of boys play well when things are going well, but when things go wrong, they can't control their emotions. He also recalled what he made his nephews endure to help him progress: “  During certain training sessions, I purposely played with bad, well-used balls. I could also announce that the session was going to last an hour but I could extend it for as long as I wanted. Toni Nadal said back in 2021. (H/T: We Love Tennis)

Notably, Nadal has been often credited for his mentality where he does not give up till the very end. The Spaniard has won 22 Grand Slam titles with the help of this attitude and he is exhibiting the same trait with injuries pegging him down.