Toni Nadal Transformed Rafael Nadal’s Career With a Single Change Says Goran Ivanisevic

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Vivek Devane | Last updated Apr 30, 2025 10:38 AM ET

In sports, small decisions can have monumental consequences. Few examples highlight this better than the story of Rafael Nadal’s left-handed game — a decision that, according to Goran Ivanišević, borders on genius.

Speaking candidly, Novak Djokovic’s former coach reflected on how Toni Nadal’s early intervention in Rafael’s development might have fundamentally shaped the career of one of the sport’s greatest players.

"Nadal is naturally right-handed," Ivanišević said. "His uncle made him switch hands somehow, and who knows if Nadal would've been as good had he stayed right-handed?"

It’s a fascinating insight into the early days of Nadal's training, where Toni Nadal, ever the visionary coach, saw something that most would overlook. For Ivanišević, this move teetered between ‘genius and madness’ — and yet, it ultimately proved to be a stroke of brilliance.

The advantages of being a left-hander in tennis are well-documented. Left-handed players often force right-handers into uncomfortable positions, spinning the ball differently and disrupting standard game plans.

Ivanišević emphasized this, saying, "It’s traditionally tough to play left-handers in tennis. The spins are different; everything changes. Your whole game plan changes when you're playing a lefty. Everything just feels off when you're up against them."

Nadal, though not known for having a massive serve compared to some of his contemporaries, made his delivery devastatingly effective simply through his left-handed spin and placement.

"He never had a crazy good serve," Ivanišević noted, "but because he's left-handed, his serve was still super effective. He'd pull you way out wide, and then you're defending with a backhand or a forehand. If he were right-handed, that serve wouldn't have been half as effective."

"So, it's definitely an advantage, and his uncle sensed that. It's unbelievable how his uncle saw that, he is a genius and he turned Nadal into one too," Ivanišević added.

Toni Nadal’s early, unconventional decision clearly paid off in remarkable ways. It speaks not only to his deep understanding of tennis but also to the courage he had to mold a young player’s instincts in service of a bigger vision. As history shows, that one bold choice helped create a 22-time Grand Slam champion and one of the greatest competitors the sport has ever seen.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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