Toni Nadal has once again turned his attention to the evolution of modern tennis, a sport he believes has lost much of its tactical richness due to the dominance of power. Speaking on Radioestadio, Nadal argued that many matches have become endless exchanges of powerful shots, leaving little room for point construction, variety, or on-court intelligence.
The coach was blunt in suggesting a potential solution to reverse this trend:
“One measure I would propose to change tennis is to play with a smaller racket. Nowadays, most matches are about hitting as hard as possible, and there’s no tactical response to that.”
His comments directly touch on a growing debate within the circuit. The increasing speed of the ball, improved physical conditioning of players, and advances in equipment have turned tennis into an increasingly explosive sport.
For Toni Nadal, this path could harm the spectacle unless ways are found to bring other aspects of the game back into focus. In that vein, he called on tennis authorities to take action:
“The leaders should do something to change the game in tennis; sometimes it’s not very attractive.”
Regarding Alcaraz
Nadal also spoke about Carlos Alcaraz, one of the standout names at the moment. The Murcian is currently in a phase where the priority is to fully recover his wrist, a particularly sensitive area for any tennis player. The Balearic coach said he was confident that Alcaraz would act cautiously and not rush his return.
“The wrist is very delicate; I remember Del Potro’s problems. I’m sure Alcaraz won’t force it.”
Toni Nadal also touched on Alcaraz’s standing compared to Jannik Sinner. The Italian has established himself as one of the circuit’s top references, and his level has earned enormous respect from rivals.
Nadal revealed a conversation with Alexander Zverev that highlights Sinner’s competitive stature, while still defending that Alcaraz is on the same level.
“I asked Zverev who he would prefer to play, Sinner or Alcaraz, and he told me Alcaraz; for him, Sinner seems untouchable. I don’t see Alcaraz as being below Sinner,” the coach stated.
For Toni Nadal, Sinner’s current form doesn’t diminish Alcaraz’s value. The ranking, for now, is secondary. What matters is that the Murcian feels ready again to compete for the biggest titles of the season.
