"I stopped coaching Rafael when I felt I couldn't contribute any more" - Toni Nadal admits he has been 'wrong at times' while coaching Rafael Nadal

Toni Nadal and Rafael Nadal are synonymous with each other after building up a remarkable tennis career together. Recognised as one of the greatest tennis players of all time, it was a surprise when they split after spending 27 years together since Rafael Nadal was a kid.

They achieved so much in the sport together, overcoming obstacles to reach the top, and stay there in a ridiculously competitive era on the ATP Tour. However, all great things much come to an end eventually, and there were some underlying factors in the Nadal's split which sees Toni Nadal admit years later that he did make mistakes.

"I stopped coaching Rafael when I felt I couldn't contribute any more," he told Onda Cero. He came to the conclusion that at times in his career, he was off the mark. "I may have been wrong at times, but I had clear ideas."

One of which was putting his allegiances publicly towards the Rafael Nadal Academy rather than his nephew. "I made the mistake of commenting in an interview in Budapest that the following year I was going to be more at the academy than with Rafa without having spoken to him about it; I thought it wouldn't have any repercussions."

The pair went their own directions in 2017 after Toni Nadal had led Rafael Nadal to 16 of the eventual 22 Grand Slams he would win. Staying at the top in any sport is not easy at all, but in Rafael Nadal's case there were added drawbacks. He would suffer dearly with an incurable foot condition picked up when only 19. He would continue his full career with it, battling against the rare condition to complete what he has done in the sport.

"What Rafael has done is very meritorious...many times we couldn't finish training sessions because of the pain," he stated. "You can't create a strong character with just nice words... I always wanted the best for Rafael... When Rafael travelled with another member of the staff, I would tell that member, 'Don't be hard on him, I already fulfil that role, I accepted that role.'"

Toni Nadal has often advised Alexander Zverev before in the past, giving him tips and tricks as he continued to previously search for a maiden Grand Slam title, the last piece of the puzzle to finish off his list of tennis accolades.

He finally did this at the recent French Open, defeating Flavio Cobolli in five sets to finally achieve his dream. It was something that the Spaniard was pleased to finally see, and felt the shackles could now come off for the 29-year-old.

"I told Zverev that it wasn't a question of coaching, that he should give his father the opportunity to win a Grand Slam with him... This victory will allow him to be more aggressive again," he said. "I told Zverev that he had to change his character, not be so negative.

"Zverev has had an obsession with winning a Grand Slam for many years, and that creates a lot of pressure... He's a player who really loves tennis and this victory will bring him closer to Alcaraz and Sinner."

At the moment, Zverev feels like the clear number three behind Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz up ahead in the rankings. Those two shared the prior nine Grand Slams between them, and is the first Grand Slam since Novak Djokovic won the 2023 US Open which did not have either of their name etched onto the trophy.

Zverev can now compete in big tournaments with that sense of relief without the pressure knowing there is that tag still on him surrounding Grand Slams. He will traverse to Wimbledon later this month knowing that he has another chance of glory.