{"id":67037,"date":"2025-07-16T11:05:14","date_gmt":"2025-07-16T11:05:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/67037\/"},"modified":"2025-07-16T11:05:14","modified_gmt":"2025-07-16T11:05:14","slug":"john-mcenroes-damning-verdict-of-toni-nadal-in-2015-as-he-begins-working-with-alexander-zverev","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/67037\/","title":{"rendered":"John McEnroe’s damning verdict of Toni Nadal in 2015 as he begins working with Alexander Zverev"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

News broke recently that one of the biggest names in coaching has started working with a top-five ATP star.<\/strong><\/p>\n

World number three Alexander Zverev was spotted in training on Monday with Toni Nadal<\/a> at the Rafael Nadal Academy.<\/p>\n

Suffering a shock defeat at Wimbledon, Zverev lost to Arthur Rinderknech<\/a> in his opening match, as his wait for a maiden Grand Slam title continued.<\/p>\n

Looking to end that wait, Zverev is rumored to be adding Nadal<\/a> to his coaching team.<\/p>\n

Nadal has been out of work since splitting with Canada\u2019s Felix Auger-Aliassime<\/a> last year, with whom he had worked for four years.<\/p>\n

\"ToniPhoto by Jean Catuffe\/Getty Images<\/p>\n

The 64-year-old enjoyed the majority of his coaching success alongside his nephew Rafael Nadal<\/a>, as the pair worked together between 1990 and 2017.<\/p>\n

During that period, Nadal grew a reputation as one of the best coaches around, although one ATP Tour<\/a> legend wasn\u2019t too convinced in 2015.<\/p>\n

John McEnroe told Rafael Nadal to \u2018get a new damn coach\u2019 in 2015 and fire Toni Nadal<\/p>\n

The 22-time Grand Slam champion suffered one of the worst losses of his career at Wimbledon<\/a> ten years ago, when Nadal lost to world number 102 Dustin Brown in the second round.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n

Speaking to BBC Radio 5 Live after the match, former world number one John McEnroe<\/a> argued it was time for Rafael Nadal to split with his uncle, Toni Nadal.<\/p>\n

\u201cGet a new damn coach,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt might be time for some fresh blood in the [Rafael] Nadal camp.\u201d<\/p>\n

McEnroe also suggested that other members of Nadal\u2019s team had tried to convince his uncle to step down.<\/p>\n

\u201cAre we even allowed to say that? Uncle Toni\u2019s going to be upset,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

\"ToniPhoto by Cameron Spencer\/Getty Images<\/p>\n

\u201cI know Carlos Costa, who manages Nadal, and he\u2019s had other people.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey have tried to gently persuade Uncle Toni, who has done a magnificent job since Rafa was a little kid. Clearly, at this stage, it would appear that some fresh ideas are in order.\u201d<\/p>\n

McEnroe\u2019s comments came during the worst period of Nadal\u2019s career, when he failed to win any of the nine Grand Slam tournaments he entered between 2014 and 2017.<\/p>\n\nTourrnament<\/strong><\/td>\nRound lost in<\/strong><\/td>\nOpponent<\/strong><\/td>\nScore<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n\n2014 Wimbledon<\/td>\nFourth round<\/td>\nNick Kyrgios<\/td>\n6-7, 7-5, 6-7, 3-6<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n\n2015 Australian Open<\/td>\nQuarterfinals<\/td>\nTomas Berdych<\/td>\n2-6, 0-6, 6-7<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n\n2015 French Open<\/td>\nQuarterfinals<\/td>\nNovak Djokovic<\/td>\n5-7, 3-6, 1-6<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n\n2015 Wimbledon<\/td>\nSecond round<\/td>\nDustin Brown<\/td>\n5-7, 6-3, 4-6, 4-6<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n\n2015 US Open<\/td>\nThird round<\/td>\nFabio Fognini<\/td>\n6-3, 6-4, 4-6, 3-6, 4-6<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n\n2016 Australian Open<\/td>\nFirst round<\/td>\nFernando Verdasco<\/td>\n6-7, 6-4, 6-3, 6-7, 2-6<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n\n2016 French Open<\/td>\nThird round*<\/td>\nMarcel Granollers<\/td>\nW\/O<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n\n2016 US Open<\/td>\nFourth round<\/td>\nLucas Pouille<\/td>\n1-6, 6-2, 4-6, 6-3, 6-7<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n\n2017 Australian Open<\/td>\nFinal<\/td>\nRoger Federer<\/td>\n4-6, 6-3, 1-6, 6-3, 3-6<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

Rafael Nadal\u2019s winless streak at Grand Slams<\/p>\n

Nadal didn\u2019t make a coaching change immediately after his defeat to Brown at Wimbledon, but did add his fellow Spaniard Carlos Moya<\/a>, to the team at the end of the 2016 season.<\/p>\n

After Nadal narrowly missed out on the Australian Open<\/a> title in 2017, his long-time coach departed the team, and Moya assumed the role of head coach.<\/p>\n

Months later, Nadal returned to winning ways, picking up his first Grand Slam title in three years at the 2017 French Open.<\/p>\n

With Moya by his side, Nadal won the final seven major titles of his career, finishing up on 22, a tally bettered by just one player in tennis history, Novak Djokovic<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Will Alexander Zverev and Toni Nadal be a good fit?<\/p>\n

Zverev is currently coached by his father, Alexander Zverev Sr, having previously worked with two high-profile Spaniards.<\/p>\n