Toni Nadal elaborates on how nephew Rafael Nadal was different from other kids - "He wasn't trying to embarrass you like other kids"

Rafael Nadal's uncle and former coach Toni Nadal recently weighed in on his nephew's upbringing and what made him extremely likable as a trainee.

The 22-time Grand Slam champion started playing tennis at the age of four under Toni's guidance. It was his uncle who made the conscious decision for him to start playing left-handed. Nadal is right-handed, and playing tennis is the only thing that the iconic player can do with his left hand.

16 of his 22 Majors came with Toni by his side before they parted ways in 2017. The 61-year-old now works with Felix Auger-Aliassime and as the director of the Rafa Nadal Academy. In an interview with Vanity Fair, he revealed that the 14-time Roland Garros champion's obedience set him apart from other boys.

Toni added that his nephew did not question him whenever he was asked to do something, which is exactly what coaches expect.

"Rafael was always a very docile boy," Toni said. "He was uncomplicated and obedient, someone you could say things to without question. He wasn't trying to embarrass you like other kids who have a harder time obeying do.

"You said something to him, and you saw that he immediately had the predisposition to do it. That is something that a coach or teacher appreciates a lot."

Often hailed for his dignified behavior on and off the court, the Spanish star is one of the very few players never to smash a racket on court. Toni credited the sixth-ranked player's parents for the way they brought him up.

"It is due to the education that his parents instilled in him and, obviously, to his way of doing things," he added. "I, for example, would never have let him intentionally break a racket, because that is my way of understanding the world. But the fact that he didn't throw it away is a matter of the education that his parents gave him."