James Blake shares the key person behind Rafael Nadal's success
In an interview to Express, the former world No. 4 and current Miami Open Tournament Director James Blake commented on how Uncle Toni was important for Rafael Nadal in his growth. “Uncle Toni was one of the greatest coaches", the American said. "I love the coaches like him who aren’t making a spectacle of themselves, they’re just doing their job. If you see what they’re talking about and the effect he has on Rafa you can see he’s doing a great job but he doesn’t need to let everyone know that. Uncle Toni would also direct him as a human being and help him grow up. Rafa was on tour as a 15 to 16-year-old, so he wasn’t fully mature and Uncle Toni was there to guide him. Rafa, with Federer, is one of the greatest ambassadors and is one of the most genuine, respectful people. Having Uncle Toni helped him and now helping run the academy will help a lot of young people."
Before the match between Thiem and Nadal in Barcelona, the former Roger Federer's coach Paul Annacone had said: “I like the chances of Dominic Thiem because Rafa has been a little bit vulnerable. And with Rafa, that little bit is very rare that we see it. But the way Thiem played in the second set I was really impressed with his offensive style. If he can beat Rafa to the punch and he can believe, we can see what he does. We saw him do it in Madrid last year. Unfortunately, the margins are so narrow, the door is open only very briefly, so he has to do it from the beginning of the match. If he doesn’t, it is going to be a long match."
from Tennis World USA http://bit.ly/2DyjZAj
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