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Breaking Down Rafael Nadal’s Move to Hire New Coach Carlos Moya
- Updated: December 21, 2016
Rafael Nadal has never been one to make wholesale changes to his game, so hiring coach Carlos Moya was about as surprising as unleashing a topspin forehand. But these are desperate times for the 14-time Grand Slam winner who is hoping for a few more big titles before the sun sets on his fading career.
Moya, age 40, will join forces with Nadal’s Uncle Toni, who has coached him since childhood. Moya was briefly the No. 1 player and the 1998 French Open champion but soon became familiar with 16-year-old Nadal when he lost their first contest at Hamburg in 2003. They played eight career matches (Nadal won six) and were heroic Davis Cup teammates in defeating the Americans in the 2004 final.
Tapping Moya to coach is more like convincing his elder brother to move back home and save the family business. Always close-knit with a small inner circle, Nadal did not feel the need to reach beyond their native Mallorca, let alone find a different kind of messenger far from the confines of proud Spanish culture and tennis.
Will this partnership be the answer to rejuvenate Nadal’s final chances at a Grand Slam title? Or is it too much of the same flavor, too little and too late?
Carlos Moya will also work with the Rafa Nadal Tennis Academy in addition to working as part of his coaching team… https://t.co/rrEdtapEqg
— SpanishTennisSecrets (@SpainTennisBook) December 17, 2016
Effects of the Supercoaches
In recent years, Nadal’s rivals have looked at former star players to advance their careers. These “Supercoaches” have all had positive results in one way or another, providing an extra boost or outlook that opened up important opportunities.
Andy Murray’s original partnership with Ivan Lendl from 2012-14 helped the Scot become more aggressive with his forehand and play with greater mental toughness. Their reunion prior to Wimbledon 2016 was another burst of adrenaline for Murray that helped drive him to the No. 1 ranking for the first time. This partnership …
