Tennis: Rafael Nadal to part ways with longtime coach

Rafael Nadal and coach Toni Nadal. Photo / Getty

Rafael Nadal's uncle and longtime coach Toni Nadal will make this his last season alongside his nephew on the ATP Tour.

The elder Nadal has been with his talented nephew for decades but has decided to scale back his all-tennis lifestyle at the age of 55 to train up a new generation of players at the family's new tennis centre on the Spanish island of Mallorca.

"Starting next year I will not follow Rafael on the circuit anymore. I will dedicate myself exclusively to our academy," Toni Nadal told the Il Tennis Italiano website.

"The relationship with my nephew is always optimal, in all these years we have never had periods of crisis."

Toni Nadal has slowly been putting the pieces in place for his pullback, first with the hiring years ago of former player and family confidante Carlos Costa as Rafael Nadal's personal manager.

At the end of last season, former mentor Carlos Moya was added to the travelling coaching team, lifting much of the responsibility from the elder Nadal.

"The truth is that every year I decide less and less, to the point where I will not decide anything anymore," Toni added. "I have travelled with Rafa for a lot of years, and now I want to go back to training young people and our academy is the ideal place."

Fresh from losing an epic Australian Open final to fierce rival Roger Federer, Nadal has confirmed he will sit out the upcoming Rotterdam Open after doctors told him he needed rest following his run to the decider at Melbourne Park.

"I'm very sorry I won't be able to play but the Australian Open took a lot out of me," Nadal said. "And my doctors are insisting I take it easy and get sufficient rest before playing again so as to avoid any fresh bout of injuries."

His old foe Federer got the better of him in the final of the year's first major, winning 6-4 3-6 6-1 3-6 6-3.

Nadal should be back at Acapulco in the week beginning February 27.

- AAP