Toni Nadal claims it would be a "dream come true" for any coach to train Roger Federer, says RG seeding system is not "wrong"

Toni Nadal believes it would be a "dream come true" for any coach to have the privilege of guiding Roger Federer, but claims the Swiss great is so good he does not need any help.

Toni Nadal is one of the most successful coaches in men's tennis, having guided nephew Rafael Nadal to 75 singles titles, including 16 Grand Slams. After parting ways with his nephew in 2017, the 60-year-old spent time coaching at the Rafa Nadal academy in Manacor before joining Felix Auger-Aliassime's team.

When asked if he would ever have taken Roger Federer under his wing, Toni Nadal laughed off the question and claimed the Swiss would never have approached him for help in the first place.

"He would never come to me (laughs)," Toni Nadal told SRF Sport. "He's so good, he doesn't need any help. But one thing is clear: it would be a dream come true for every coach to train Roger Federer one day. He's one of the best tennis players in history, if not the best. But I'm sure he doesn't need my help (laughs)."

Toni Nadal

Toni Nadal said he was not surprised by Roger Federer's decision to participate in the French Open despite the lack of matches under his belt.

"I know how much Roger is still committed to tennis," he added. "And it's clear that the best players want to play the biggest tournaments. He knows, of course, that he has a better chance of winning Wimbledon. But he needs match practice, he has hardly played in the last two years."

Turning his attention to Roland Garros, Toni revealed he followed the draws of Felix Auger-Aliassime and Rafael Nadal with great interest.

Nadal, a 13-time champion at Roland Garros, is the third seed this year and could face Novak Djokovic in the semifinals. Daniil Medevdev, who has never won a match in Paris, is seeded ahead of Nadal in second.

Given the way the draw has panned out, many have questioned Roland Garros' decision to follow the ATP rankings as opposed to Wimbledon's system of allotting seedings based on a player's grasscourt form and record, but Toni believes the rules are not out of place.

Träume, Unglaubliches, Zukünftiges: Toni Nadal, Onkel und Ex-Trainer von Rafael Nadal, spricht im Interview über falsche Prognosen und die Zeit nach den «Big 3». #srftennis https://t.co/39ml26HNal

— SRF Sport (@srfsport) May 28, 2021

"First of all, of course, I watched Félix's draw, then Rafael's," he added. "I saw Djokovic and Federer are in the same half too. Djokovic is number 1 in the world, Rafael is number 3 - that can happen. That's the way the rules are. If they were like Wimbledon, he would be seeded at number 1. There is no right or wrong, both are justified."

Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer, and Novak Djokovic do not have to prove anything to anyone: Toni Nadal

Rafael Nadal with Roger Federer at the 2019 Laver Cup

Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic have dominated the sport for close to two decades and Toni believes the trio do not have anything left to prove.

"You know, the truth is: Rafael has been one of the best players in the world since 2005, it's been over 16 years now," Toni said. "I don't think he has to prove anything to anyone anymore (smiles). Incidentally, this does not only apply to Rafael, but also to Federer and Djokovic."

---

Please help Sportskeeda improve its tennis coverage. Take a 30-second survey now!