Toni Nadal’s guidance of his nephew Rafael Nadal helped the tennis icon scoop 22 Grand Slams in his incredible career.
Nadal’s uncle worked with the King of Clay for 27 years between 1990 and 2017 as the Spaniard became one of the greatest players to ever play the sport.
The coach became the most successful in history while guiding Nadal, until Novak Djokovic and Marián Vajda won their 17th major in 2020.
After the Spaniard split with Toni Nadal in 2017, the legendary coach was asked if he would ever coach Djokovic.
Toni Nadal said he would be open to coaching Novak Djokovic in 2018
Speaking to La Vanguardia after splitting with his nephew, Nadal was asked whether he would say yes to Djokovic if he asked him to coach him.
Nadal replied: “It won’t happen. But it’s hard to say no to Djokovic. He’s number one. If he’s a polite person, I wouldn’t go all out like I did with my nephew, but I’d be delighted to accompany him to a tournament.”
However, the iconic coach suggested that players’ attitudes have changed since he worked with his nephew.
“The thing is, the world has changed. It’s difficult to work properly with young people. We used to live in a society that respected its elders.
“Now I’m too old to be chasing after a child who misbehaves. In any case, coaching Djokovic would be like coaching Barça or Real Madrid.”
Toni Nadal worked with Felix Auger-Aliassime for three years between 2021 and 2024 after splitting with his nephew.
Who did Novak Djokovic work with from 2018 onward?
Djokovic has had his pick of extraordinary coaches since Nadal said he would be open to working with the legend.
He worked with Radek Stepanek for one year in 2018, before switching to Goran Ivanisevic for five years between up until 2024.
That was one of Djokovic’s most prolific periods, which earned the star three Australian Open titles, three Wimbledon trophies, two Roland Garros crowns, two US Opens, 2 ATP Finals, and seven Masters trophies.
| Novak Djokovic’s coaches since 2018 | Year |
| Radek Stepanek | 2018 |
| Goran Ivanisevic | 2019-2024 |
| Andy Murray | 2024-2025 |
| Boris Bosnjakovic | 2025-present |
Andy Murray worked with Djokovic for less than a year in 2024 and 2025, in a far less fruitful time for the Serbian.
The star currently works with Boris Bosnjakovic, who previously worked with the Serbian Davis Cup team between 2010 and 2012.
