Uncle Toni doesn't like Kyrgios's style

Uncle Toni being graceful as usual.

http://news.tennistonic.com/tennis-news/?nid=4533&/Toni-Nadal-criticizes-Kyrgios-style!

"Rafael's level of play was rather good this year at Wimbledon, with better feeling and movement than last year"
Translation: We got beyond the first round this year.

"I really struggle with this kind of tennis which is so quickfire that you don't even have the time to think"
Translation: I really struggle with this kind of tennis which is so quickfire that you don't even have the time to think what tactics to shout from the stands to Rafa.

"I like watching Federer, Dimitrov, Djokovic or Murray"
Translation: I prefer watching players who I know will buckle when Rafa applies pressure.

"I like to see tactics at work out on the court"
Translation: I like to see Rafa be able to slow the pace of the game down.

I'm sorry, what's wrong with what he said? He's always said he isn't a fan of bang bang tennis, and that's why despite having the one of the biggest forehands in the game, Rafa is never leading the winners column. He didn't kiss Krygios' feet, but he was hardly tactless

kingraf wrote:I'm sorry, what's wrong with what he said?

The words were uttered by Uncle Toni. That makes them inherently immoral.

Kyrgios played the game of his life so the classy thing to do would be to give him some credit rather than whingeing about his style of play, surely?

I guess it's too much to ask of Uncle T.

Well I enjoyed it!

Me too - it was fantastic tennis!

LK and reckoner, would you have felt the same way if the opponent had been different ? Personally, the thought of a return to 1990s-style Wimbledon matches fills me with horror.
 
There is more to Kygios' game than a serve and it will be interesting to see what he can achieve over the next decade. He could win multiple slams or he might join Messrs Rosol and Darcis as little known (outside the tennis fan fraternity) Trivial Pursuit answers.

Indeed Womble.

I have been harping on about new blood coming to the fort for years and here we have it.

It could've been Murray, Djokovic or Federer for all I care.

All people think of when they think of 90's tennis is Sampras and Goran. Me I think of the 80's. That was when grass tennis was great.

Like I said on another thread, the ball should never hang up on grass! Ever!

Hell yes! I enjoy upsets in tennis and this match was the stuff of Hollywood!
 
Young pretender meets the world number 1 on the hallowed lawns of Wimbledon. Even his own mum thinks he'll get beat and beat bad.
 
But no - he overcomes inexperience, inexplicable dance moves and terrible bling to stand tall and claim victory over the grizzled pro, who's going worryingly thin on top.
 
Add a training montage and a Hans Zimmer soundtrack and you have a frikking blockbuster on your hands (are you listening, Miramax?).
 
Everytime Nadal gets walloped by a big hitter we have these concerns about a return to the 90s - it hasn't happened yet, I wouldn't worry about it.

Rafa - a great player and one of the greatest fighters the game has seen - has nevertheless enjoyed conditions to which he is ideally suited. Big balls, slow courts, huge racquets, plenty of time between points, endless toweling down (to think they used not to even sit down between games in olden times).
So if there are times when strange tactics - such as trying to win a match with big serves and lightning ground strokes - come along, then he, and Uncle Toni, are just going to have to lump it.

If at all somebody played a boring Tennis its his Nephew Mr.Rafael Nadal and not the Kid.

At pointing fingers, who don't you look back at yourself in trying to play against the morale of the sport by on-field coaching etc,..

Toni, you are a smart tactitician and very good in bullying opponents to submission and fooling people of injuries to prevent the fear factor to continue when your ward goes down.

Sir. Toni Nadal can you please shut up and leave the scene for the Kid to enjoy at the moment.

Please talk just about yourself and not as spectators, we all thoroughly enjoyed a great match and please don't talk about Dimitrov , it took him 5 + years to do something meaningful and in comparison this kid did it straight away.

Oh obiviously you would Fed's style don't you, specially that one hand backhand lollipops.   

HM Murdoch wrote:"Rafael's level of play was rather good this year at Wimbledon, with better feeling and movement than last year"
Translation: We got beyond the first round this year.

"I really struggle with this kind of tennis which is so quickfire that you don't even have the time to think"
Translation: I really struggle with this kind of tennis which is so quickfire that you don't even have the time to think what tactics to shout from the stands to Rafa.

"I like watching Federer, Dimitrov, Djokovic or Murray"
Translation: I prefer watching players who I know will buckle when Rafa applies pressure.

"I like to see tactics at work out on the court"
Translation: I like to see Rafa be able to slow the pace of the game down.

Thanks for the very amusing translation!

I too thought that when I read it through. So basically for Uncle Toni to enjoy the match it has to be one with at least 25-30 seconds between points, keeping your opponent in the receiving position twisting their racquet, long grinding rallies and as you point out players with a negative h2h with his nephew!

Sir. Toni Nadal I hate your "win at all cost" attitude.   

A win is only fun if it comes within the spirit of the rules and with sportsmanship.

dont seem like a good thing to say form toni. itsbetter to give credit to your rival.

anyway hwhat he is saying is obvious. of course he prefers other kind of tennis, the one he has worked on with nadal for 14 years

but you meet different rivals and you got to find answers to all of them. and nadal team is normally good at it

Uncle T is always incredibly unsporting. Sad, really.

naxroy wrote:

but you meet different rivals and you got to find answers to all of them. and nadal team is normally good at it

I actually don't think so, Nadal's team worked out strategy for players who have been already playing, its easy, if a new champion come up they are yet to be tested on how good they adjust to it and find solutions.

1]No Solution to counter Djokovic
On Djokovic's post 2011 form, Nadal's team yet struggling to find answers to combat Djokovic, FO final loss is an issue related to Djoko's mental lapse in Slam finals and it didn't happen just against Rafa ins FO, it happend against Murray in 2 different slam finals, it happened against Rafa in USO, Fed in Wimbledon etc,..

2]No Solution to counter plain Big Servers on grass - Toni accepts it now indirectly.
Nadal's team yet to solve the problems of big hitters on grass, in the past Rafa was lucky to escape out of jail on few cicumstances, Like Soderling's match, Youzhny's match, Robin Haase Match etc,.. but that luck is not clicking successfully of late and tats one of the reason why he is struggling.
So the fact remains Nadal team yet to solve the problems of big hitters on grass.

3]No Solution for successful title defense outside clay

Let alone slams I am not even sure how many masters he has defended outside clay.

4]No Solution so far to Defend year end World No.1 successfully.
2008 Was not defended on 2009
2010 was not defended on 2011
2013 looks like it would follow suite.

Yes Nadal team are generally good at finding solutions but provided they have already analyzed an existing problem before taking the issue, but there are so many issues they struggle to find answers for, so I won't agree they have solutions for everything.

As far as what Toni said, you have to keep in mind that he probably just responded to questions he was asked. He was perfectly correct that Rafa's play was pretty good this year, certainly much better than the last two years. I'm not a fan of the three aces a game style of tennis either and I also would much rather watch Federer, Dimitrov, Djokovic or Murray.
 
Federer did not "slam Nadal" as a lot of the papers chose to report it. He answered a non-player specific question about speed of play. In the same way, Toni appears to have answered a set of questions in an honest manner.
 
As a one off, I agree that it was a dramatic and spectacular match, particularly given the context, but as a rule, I have better things to do with my time than spend a couple of hours watching someone serve 37 aces.

It is probably a little early to call Kyrgios a "new champion". I agree that he looks as though he could be the real deal, but let's reconvene in, say, three years.

The strategy thus far has been to call a MTO / toilet break to induce a turning point in the match but the crowds have started booing so it's back to the drawing board for Uncle T.

Nothing wrong with 37 aces!

Beats waiting 30 odd seconds for a point to be played.

Fair enough, if that's what you want to see. I guess tennis is more interesting when players have different styles. That was what was great about Federer / Nadal when Fed was at his peak. I wouldn't want to see too many Krygios / Raronic match ups, but I also wouldn't want to see too many Nadal / Djokovic ones either - life is too short.

AFCWomble42 wrote:Fair enough, if that's what you want to see. I guess tennis is more interesting when players have different styles. That was what was great about Federer / Nadal when Fed was at his peak. I wouldn't want to see too many Krygios / Raronic match ups, but I also wouldn't want to see too many Nadal / Djokovic ones either - life is too short.

Not liking Krygious style is different but he should know every word he going to utter in public will be criticized if not uttered properly.

He could have slightly modified his statement like "even though I am not a fan of Ace Tennis or bang bang tennis I give credit to the kid to come and play a game of life to beat Rafa, he deserved the win coz he came and he took it".

But unfortunately Toni being a bully would never say a statement that will give confidence to his Ward's opponents, he will rather use every dirty technique to see Nadal's opponent mentally give up before the game.

Did he make the same remarks in 2012? Not all surfaces are Clay, even though W is slower than the noughties. Borg could handle both Clay and Grass with aplomb using racquets/strings tech which is not comparable to the current set.

The purpose of fast Tennis is to play fast, is it not?

Whilst I'm not the biggest fan of some of Toni's utterances, I really can't see the big problem with what he has said here. Perhaps we'll just have to agree to disagree as to whether Uncle Toni is the devil incarnate, who's every public statement is designed to undermine a future opponent of his nephew's.

This is not about Toni, but his nephew. He lost a match, no one died.

Why criticize someone's style of Tennis? That style helped the person win a match.

As Nadal himself admits, Toni talks too much.

PS: I have yet to see any other coach criticize a specific style of Tennis.

laverfan wrote:This is not about Toni, but his nephew. He lost a match, no one died.

Why criticize someone's style of Tennis? That style helped the person win a match.

As Nadal himself admits, Toni talks too much.

PS: I have yet to see any other coach criticize a specific style of Tennis.

+1

DirectView2 wrote:If at all somebody played a boring Tennis its his Nephew  Mr.Rafael Nadal and not the Kid.

At pointing fingers, who don't you look back at yourself  in trying to play against the morale of the sport by on-field coaching etc,..

Toni, you are a smart tactitician and very good in bullying opponents to submission and fooling people of injuries to prevent the fear factor to continue when your ward goes down.

Sir. Toni Nadal can you please shut up and leave the scene for the Kid to enjoy at the moment.

Please talk just about yourself and not as spectators, we all thoroughly enjoyed a great match and please don't talk about Dimitrov , it took him 5 + years to do something meaningful and in comparison this kid did it straight away.

Oh obiviously you would Fed's style don't you, specially that one hand backhand lollipops.   

Isnt it just as well we ALL have our opinions... you obviously enjoyed the match then between Raonic and "the kid" ??? good for you because Im with Uncle T on this one .. if this is the future of tennis i.e. how many aces you can serve in a match...then I wonder who will be voted the GOAT in years to come.  There wont be any need for coaches

DirectView2 wrote:

laverfan wrote:This is not about Toni, but his nephew. He lost a match, no one died.

Why criticize someone's style of Tennis? That style helped the person win a match.

As Nadal himself admits, Toni talks too much.

PS: I have yet to see any other coach criticize a specific style of Tennis.

+1

+2

+3 for HMM superb translation.

Haddie-nuff wrote:

DirectView2 wrote:If at all somebody played a boring Tennis its his Nephew  Mr.Rafael Nadal and not the Kid.

At pointing fingers, who don't you look back at yourself  in trying to play against the morale of the sport by on-field coaching etc,..

Toni, you are a smart tactitician and very good in bullying opponents to submission and fooling people of injuries to prevent the fear factor to continue when your ward goes down.

Sir. Toni Nadal can you please shut up and leave the scene for the Kid to enjoy at the moment.

Please talk just about yourself and not as spectators, we all thoroughly enjoyed a great match and please don't talk about Dimitrov , it took him 5 + years to do something meaningful and in comparison this kid did it straight away.

Oh obiviously you would Fed's style don't you, specially that one hand backhand lollipops.   

Isnt it just as well we ALL have our opinions... you obviously enjoyed the match then between Raonic and "the kid" ??? good for you because Im with Uncle T on this one .. if this is the future of tennis i.e. how many aces you can serve in a match...then I wonder who will be voted the GOAT in years to come.  There wont be any need for coaches

Oh so you think hitting Aces are so easy right? so why isint you idiol Nadal hit 100 Aces every match?   

Everybody got a style, Nadal got a moonballing style, Krygious got bang bang style, Fed got shanking style, Toni doesn't have to comment on spectators behalf he has to  comment on his behalf.

I am not aware of any spectator crying for a refund of money? and if his style was that boring how come he became an overnight sensation? does Toni has courage to call Sampras game boring in that way? does he have the spine? he could only bully a kid who is trying to make his mark, shameful really.

DirectView2 wrote:

naxroy wrote:

but you meet different rivals and you got to find answers to all of them. and nadal team is normally good at it

I actually don't think so, Nadal's team worked out strategy for players who have been already playing, its easy, if a new champion come up they are yet to be tested on how good they adjust to it and find solutions.

1]No Solution to counter Djokovic
On Djokovic's post 2011 form, Nadal's team yet struggling to find answers to combat Djokovic, FO final loss is an issue related to Djoko's mental lapse in Slam finals and it didn't happen just against Rafa ins FO, it happend against Murray in 2 different slam finals, it happened against Rafa in USO, Fed in Wimbledon etc,..

2]No Solution to counter plain Big Servers on grass - Toni accepts it now indirectly.
Nadal's team yet to solve the problems of big hitters on grass, in the past Rafa was lucky to escape out of jail on few cicumstances, Like Soderling's match, Youzhny's match, Robin Haase Match etc,.. but that luck is not clicking successfully of late and tats one of the reason why he is struggling.
So the fact remains Nadal team yet to solve the problems of big hitters on grass.

3]No Solution for successful title defense outside clay

Let alone slams I am not even sure how many masters he has defended outside clay.

4]No Solution so far to Defend year end World No.1 successfully.
2008 Was not defended on 2009
2010 was not defended on 2011
2013 looks like it would follow suite.

Yes Nadal team are generally good at finding solutions but provided they have already analyzed an existing problem before taking the issue, but there are so many issues they struggle to find answers for, so I won't agree they have solutions for everything.

I think their CV supports their work quite solidly

I'm pretty sure that Toni hasn't put out a press statement moaning about Kyrgios' style of tennis. I suspect he was asked a question along the lines of "What do you think of Kyrgios' tennis ?" To which he responded "I really struggle with this kind of tennis which is so quickfire that you don't even have the time to think". If he was a politician, he would probably have added something complimenting Kyrigos on how well he played on the big stage. Toni may have done, of course, and we just have a case of selective reporting.
 
I agree that it is not a big deal. My point is that Toni has almost certainly just responded to questions that he was asked. Anyway, I probably can't usefully add anything else on this topic. I'm sure Rafa isn't stressing about this from whatever beach he is on.

If you think you need coaching or particular shot making skills to serve aces I think you are watching the wrong game... so you think Federer and Nadal or even Novak  would have won their slams majors by the mere fact that they have  serve dominated games

I think your tone is somewhat confrontational given that I merely disagreed with your comment. I have an opinion.. you have a problem with that .  Rafa is not my idol.. I dont have an idol.. Rafa happens to be the tennis player I most admire.. are you able to understand that?  You have a hatred of Uncle T I suggest you deal with it 

Toni is an insidious influence in tennis, can't wait until he disappears into obscurity. Overinvolved relatives are the bane of the circuit and his criticism of a young up and coming player is just pathetic sour grapes. As laverfan pointed out no other coach behaves in this appalling way. Complete lack of class and manners only excusable to the sort of sports fan able to believe Suarez really "lost his balance".

reckoner wrote:Toni is an insidious influence in tennis, can't wait until he disappears into obscurity. Overinvolved relatives are the bane of the circuit and his criticism of a young up and coming player is just pathetic sour grapes. As laverfan pointed out no other coach behaves in this appalling way. Complete lack of class and manners only excusable to the sort of sports fan able to believe Suarez really "lost his balance".

 Everyone has a downer on Uncle T over this.. Im not defending him.. because I have not seen the statement he made... like has been suggested did he respond to a question from the media (who have a happy knack of twisting whatever is said if it makes it newsworthy) so perhaps you would be kind enough to show me the article I would love to see what he has to say... whether it was in English.. or was it a translation..???  Knowing the Spanish language it depends on the translator as to how it translates... curious . I await your response 

Link in OP obviously!

Hey it's no big deal, Uncle Toni has always been like this, just disappointing he can't deal with adversity better after all his success.

reckoner wrote:Link in OP obviously!

Hey it's no big deal, Uncle Toni has always been like this, just disappointing he can't deal with adversity better after all his success.

I think we all know what Uncle T is like and Rafa has never (not even in his book) ever denied it. Toni is one of 4 maybe 5 (not sure) boys and Grandfather Rafael has said that he has always been the most difficult and the most argumentative of his sons. Im actually surprised that Rafa's parents were able to stand back and watch the treatment of their son... though I do know that Toni for all his sins loves Rafa dearly.
However he is who he is and even though he has never played professional tennis he has "bred" an incredible champion and for that reason alone I forgive him... I dont have to like him or his mouth

Haddie... There are Italian and Portuguese versions, but I cannot find a Spanish version.

http://www.tennisworlditalia.com/Toni-Nadal-critica-il-gioco-di-Kyrgios-Per-chi-guarda-questo-tennis-%26egrave-davvero-frustrante-articolo21648.html

http://www.tenis-portugal.com/2014/07/toni-nadal-critica-tenis-de-kyrgios.html

http://www.tennisworldusa.org/Rafael-Nadals-coach-Toni-Nadal-criticizes-Nick-Kyrgios-style-of-play-articolo18880.html

All three versions have the same style and presentation, though.

Yes well I will agree that from Rafa's viewpoint it was not a sensible thing for Toni to say
It would seem biased because he was playing against Rafa though I think he would have said it anyway......  I would also, therefore, appear biased because I agree with him... the match between Kyrgios and Raonic left me totally cold.... I went into a Tennis wilderness all the time Sampras was at the top of the game .. John Isner is to me like watching paint dry and Karlovic no better.. when a match relies PURELY on serving domination  wham bam thankyou maam then Im outtahere... Tennis for me is a game of cat and mouse and tactics, out manoevering and athleticism. PLayers with a big serve are invariable very big physically and I do not find the big built players particularly fast or agile

Yep... Im one of the old school... and this is obviously the way that tennis is heading so my time is almost up LF. Im sorry for Rafa that his Uncle always speaks up at the least opportune moment.. but let us not forget this didn't come out of Rafa's mouth "sins of the Uncle ......."

Haddie-nuff wrote:

reckoner wrote:Link in OP obviously!

Hey it's no big deal, Uncle Toni has always been like this, just disappointing he can't deal with adversity better after all his success.

I think we all know what Uncle T is like and Rafa has never (not even in his book) ever denied it. Toni is one of 4 maybe 5 (not sure) boys and Grandfather Rafael has said that he has always been the most difficult and the most argumentative of his sons. Im actually surprised that Rafa's parents were able to stand back and watch the treatment of their son... though I do know that Toni for all his sins loves Rafa dearly.
However he is who he is and even though he has never played professional tennis he has "bred" an incredible champion and for that reason alone I forgive him... I dont have to like him or his mouth

+1 .

Toni is the real reason of what Rafa is today, so yes I forgive Toni too for all his other antics as he gave us a legend at Tennis. Toni may be a good person in reality its just he uses all these techniques to keep his ward at successful at the top.

He is like Rocky Balboa's coach will do anything including situps to keep his Ward at the height of the success.

I am not going to shoot Toni down for what he has said. Everyone has an opinion and are entitled to it. Maybe something congratulatory wouldn't have hurt.

But Toni let's be fair. It's not like Rafa's game screams of creativity! So he got blasted off the court. It is not like outlasting your opponent is one dimensional either

legendkillarV2 wrote:I am not going to shoot Toni down for what he has said. Everyone has an opinion and are entitled to it. Maybe something congratulatory wouldn't have hurt.

But Toni let's be fair. It's not like Rafa's game screams of creativity! So he got blasted off the court. It is not like outlasting your opponent is one dimensional either

Oh lk.... Ill say no more than I cannot in anyway shape or form agree with your last commment...but  I wont be drawn as you say everyone is entitled to their opinion...  

You can speak your mind Haddie

I don't expect people to agree, but discussion is what makes a forum tick.

legendkillarV2 wrote:You can speak your mind Haddie

I don't expect people to agree, but discussion is what makes a forum tick.

Yes I know lk but when two people are firmly stuck with their opinion I see no mileage in me trying to convince you otherwise.. why I like and follow Rafa is for the very opposite reasons you state.. so what is the point. But thanks for your tolerant invitation lk 

Toni is a sad guy. All his life in Tennis and he spills this kind of crap on a young boy, is very selfish.

Having turned Nadal from a boy to a wining machine and being a father figure to Nadal, he should know better about teens.

I guess his % of Nadals earning has taken a hit at W but boy does he need a reality checkup.

Haddie, Toni and Rafa are 2 evil people.

Toni will be screaming for wimbledon to go hard or clay   

Josiah Maiestas wrote:Haddie, Toni and Rafa are 2 evil people.

Toni will be screaming for wimbledon to go hard or clay   

Just go away JM put your brain in gear before you open your mouth... you talk total rubbish as always... I thought you would have grown up by now  

Jahu wrote:Toni is a sad guy. All his life in Tennis and he spills this kind of crap on a young boy, is very selfish.

Having turned Nadal from a boy to a wining machine and being a father figure to Nadal, he should know better about teens.

I guess his % of Nadals earning has taken a hit at W but boy does he need a reality checkup.

 That is not a fact... and has been stated by Rafa also  Toni has his own business and will not be "employed" by Rafa.. he is also in business with Rafa's father. He has plenty of money of his own they are quite a wealthy family independently of Rafa's earnings.

Haddie-nuff wrote:Yep... Im one of the old school... and this is obviously the way that tennis is heading so my time is almost up LF.

No it is not up. You can pick and choose what you watch. There are some excellent players with an all-round game. Others who rely on pure serving power may acquire new skills. Recall that the Bicycle server Taylor Dent did not make inroads into top echelons of the game.

Watching new faces in WTA gives me hope.

LK... I agree Toni has an opinion. He can help Nadal solve problems like these.

Fognini gives me hope.

Reminds me of Nastase a bit.

Enjoys and plays with a smile.

Im not sure that Rafa will ever be "ready" for Wimbledon .. as time goes by and he invests so much of his energies in the clay court season and readying himself for hc.. I think he has neither the time energy or facilities to prepare enough for grass.  I do believe that Rafa is somewhat nervous of the surface given the damage that was done to his knees..
But as has already been said... Rafa is in Mallorca sunning himself and over the dissappointment Ive seen pics of him arriving at the airport and he looks fine... let Toni worry about it.. Rafa isnt