“I would propose playing with smaller rackets”: Toni Nadal offers his solution for tennis’ hectic schedule

Toni Nadal has never been afraid to challenge the status quo in tennis, and ahead of the ATP Finals in Turin, the renowned coach has sparked debate once again. The uncle and long-time mentor of Rafael Nadal believes that the modern game has become too fast, too physical, and at times, too repetitive.

Amid constant criticism of the hectic calendar, Nadal offers a different solution in a interview with Gazzeta. “It’s not a matter of the calendar. Many will disagree, but the real problem is that the ball is always going too fast,” said the former coach of Felix Auger-Aliassime, one of the players competing this week in Turin.

Nadal pointed out that the issue is not about the number of tournaments players compete in, but about the sheer intensity of today’s rallies. “There are almost no tactical players anymore; today it’s often just a contest to see who can hit harder. And when such quick movements are made, when a player approaches the ball at full speed, brakes, and starts again, it is easy for the body to reach its limit and get injured. I think we should try to slow down the pace of the game a little.”

For Nadal, the relentless pace has taken away part of the sport’s original charm. "The injuries come not because of the number of matches, but because of the intensity and violence in the movement. There are almost no tactical players anymore like Coria or Gaudio, who tried to construct the point."

In an attempt to restore that lost balance, Nadal even offered a radical solution: “I would propose playing with smaller rackets. It would be easier for amateurs and more difficult for professionals, and the game would be less violent.”

“The beauty of tennis is being able to see the stroke. When McEnroe or Nastase played, there was everything: the gesture, the touch, the tactics. Tennis is the only sport that begins with a ‘penalty kick’: if you serve well, your opponent doesn’t play... In other disciplines, they’ve changed the rules to make the spectacle greater.”

While discussing the modern state of the sport, Nadal also turned his attention to this year’s ATP Finals, where he expects another thrilling duel between Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner. “Obviously the big favourites are still Alcaraz and Sinner,” he said. “In the last tournaments, Jannik has played at a very high level, and I think in Turin he might start slightly ahead of Carlos, who honestly seems a little less comfortable on such a fast surface. It’s definitely going to be a great battle, one not to be missed.”

The Italian arrives as the defending champion—after a perfect campaign in 2024 without conceding sets—and will have a difficult mission to defend 1,500 points while the World No. 1 ranking is at stake. After a demanding match for both Alcaraz and Sinner (in which both earned 200 points), the distance is now 1,050 points, so the Italian must seek to repeat a perfect campaign and hope for an early exit from Alcaraz if he wants to finish the year at the top of the rankings.

On another topic, Toni Nadal was asked about Rafael Nadal’s historic struggles at the ATP Finals—one of the few tournaments the 22-time major champion was unable to win—Toni Nadal offered a simple explanation. “Well, first of all, because the Finals have never been played on clay,” he noted. “Apart from the serve, Rafael has always played well everywhere, but he almost always reached the end of the season feeling very tired physically.”

Rafa qualified a total of 16 times for the ATP Finals—although due to injuries and absences, he ‘only’ played the tournament 11 times. His best results were the finals in 2010 (loss to Federer) and 2013 (loss to Djokovic), in addition to four other appearances in the semi-finals.