“I told Toni it wasn’t a good idea”: Boris Becker recounts the advice that shaped a 14-year-old Rafael Nadal

Boris Becker appeared on the Spanish TV program La Revuelta, where he shared several anecdotes from his career while presenting his new book, Inside: Winning. Losing. Starting Again, in which he discusses his memoirs both on and off the court.

The former World No. 1 spoke, among other topics, about the time he met a young Rafael Nadal—barely 14 years old—in Manacor, Spain, and the advice he gave Uncle Toni Nadal regarding a change the young Rafa needed to make. “I told him it wasn't a good idea,” mentioned the German legend regarding a key aspect of Nadal’s game: his forehand stroke.

It is well known that the 22-time Grand Slam champion is naturally right-handed, but—on the advice of his coach, Uncle Toni—he ended up adapting to play left-handed, seeking to gain a certain advantage over his rivals. The formula worked out well, with Nadal becoming one of the greatest legends in tennis history.

In this regard, Becker revealed that he met the young Nadal because he had a summer home near Manacor—Nadal’s hometown—and got to know Rafa's family before the teenager began his professional career. "I know Rafa too, because I had a summer house next to him in Mallorca, between Manacor and Artà. I was there for a long time," Becker mentioned. "I knew his family. I met him when he was 14 or 15 and I met Toni."

As revealed by the six-time major champion, Toni Nadal asked for his opinion regarding Rafa’s game, and Becker gave him advice that ended up being key in the development of the young Spaniard's style. “He asked me what I thought of Nadal at 14, because he is right-handed, but played left-handed,” Becker recounted. “But at that time, Rafa hit with two hands from both sides, and I told Toni that it wasn't a good idea, that the best thing was for him to use only one hand [on the forehand],” Becker revealed.

"Look at that, it went well for them," exclaimed Becker amidst laughter, adding that "Rafa also had some merit."

The German also commented on when he met Roger Federer at an early age, and how he tried to get the Swiss maestro to represent Germany instead of Switzerland. “I know him very well, I knew him since he was a little boy,” said Becker. “He’s from Basel, Switzerland, which is the border of Germany, so we wanted him to play for Germany, not for Switzerland.”

“I spoke to him a little bit, but it was already stuck in Switzerland and Basel, but we were hoping, because it’s two miles away from the German border,” added the three-time Wimbledon champion, who ultimately had to resign himself to Federer's decision. “I tried, I tried,” said the German former tennis player with a laugh.

Becker also highlighted his time working with Djokovic between 2013 and 2016, during which the Serbian won six Grand Slam titles and had perhaps the best season of his career in 2015, securing three major titles (and a final at Roland Garros), six Masters 1000 titles (and two other finals), and finishing the year with an impressive 82-6 record (93%), winning 11 titles and reaching four other finals.

“It was a spectacular time,” he said. “I was surprised he called me, because in October of 2012, when he lost his No. 1 ranking to Rafa, so he was only No. 2. So his manager called me and said, ‘Could you imagine [yourself] as coach?’ and I go ‘Why?’” added the German regarding the call from Djokovic's representative. “‘He’s not No. 1 anymore and he lost all the Grand Slams to Rafa’… and you know, well, this is complaining on a high level.”