Skip to main content

Toni Nadal points to the main problem of French tennis: "They don't change"

The uncle and former coach of Rafa Nadal compared Spanish tennis to the French, emphasizing the alternatives of the Spanish Armada's tennis.
 

Toni Nadal points to the main problem with French tennis: "They don't change." Photo: Getty Images

Toni Nadal is known for giving his opinion without any filter. The former coach of Rafael Nadal is one of the most authoritative voices in the tennis world and usually provides a precise and accurate analysis of the tennis matters he addresses. Whether it’s a player, a tournament, a coach, or even a group of tennis players. As has been the case recently, where he expressed his thoughts on the main problem of French tennis.

Despite having a top 10 player like Arthur Fils, a tennis player with the potential to win Grand Slams and become one of the best in the world, or an up-and-coming prospect like Moise Kouame, the reality is that French men's tennis has not won a Grand Slam since Yannick Noah at Roland Garros 1983. And no women’s title since Marion Bartoli at Wimbledon 2013. In other words, it is a structural problem.

French tennis has gone 43 years without winning a Grand Slam

But for Toni Nadal, the issue lies in the way they play tennis in France and how they handle the most challenging moments. “The French, in my opinion, have a problem. Generally, they play with one tactic and do not change it. And they think the result will be the same,” he stated at an event held at Roland Garros, and his remarks were reported by Tennis_Time7.

Furthermore, the Mallorca native went a bit further and compared French tennis with Spanish tennis to highlight the significant difference between the two countries' styles: “For us, Spaniards, it is not the same. If one day we have to run a little more, we do it. Another day, if we are a bit tense, we place the ball more centrally on the court. If we feel very good, we start hitting more. The French do not. Sometimes they play very well, very well, very well, and then they lose focus and leave the match. It makes it more difficult,” Toni Nadal concluded.

This argument may help explain the difference in Grand Slam winners between the two countries. Since Noah's victory at Roland Garros in 1983, Spain has produced 9 Spanish tennis players who have won at least one Grand Slam title in singles, both male and female. Meanwhile, the total number of 'majors' amounts to 41, including 22 from Rafa Nadal, 7 from Carlos Alcaraz, and 4 from Arantxa Sánchez Vicario.
 

This is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, Toni Nadal apunta al principal problema del tenis francés: "No cambian"