Rafa Nadal's ex-coach proposes radical new change to 'make tennis less violent'

Tennis icon Rafel Nadal's uncle and former coach, Toni, has sensationally called for radical changes in a bid to make the game "less violent". Toni Nadal, 64, has claimed that reducing the size of the rackets could aid in helping players avoid injury, as they battle with a hectic schedule. Toni has also insisted that tennis as a sport has become a spectacle based around who can hit the ball the hardest, with the former coach known as one of the more outspoken voices in the game.

"Many will disagree, but the real problem is that the ball is getting faster and faster," he said in an interview with La Gazzetta dello Sport. "Injuries are not caused by the number of matches played, but by the intensity and violence of the movements. There are hardly any tactical players left like [Federico] Coria or [Gaston] Gaudio."

He added: "Nowadays, it's often just a competition to see who can hit the ball the hardest. And when you make such rapid movements, rushing towards a ball at full speed, braking and then starting again, it's easy for your body to reach its limit and get injured. I think we should try to slow the game down a little."

Nadal's solution is clear: the game needs smaller rackets, a measure that he has been advocating for for years. He said: "It would be easier for amateurs and more difficult for professionals, and the game would be less violent.

"The beauty of tennis is being able to see the movement. When [John] McEnroe or [Ilie] Nastase played, it was all there: movement, hand, tactics.

"Tennis is the only sport that starts with a 'penalty': if you serve well, your opponent doesn't play... In other disciplines, the rules have been changed to make the game more spectacular."

Despite his calls for change, Toni fears the game will not heed his warnings. He said: "The managers are only interested in the best players. And they prefer everything to stay the same."

Toni even cited the rules in football that altered as the game became more successful and popular as an example of how tennis could change. He said: "Football. After the Italia '90 World Cup, they introduced three new rules: the back pass to the goalkeeper, who could no longer handle it.

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"The three points for a win: that's how they started attacking more. And the yellow card: before, they could beat Maradona all the time, but now you could no longer come in from behind. This brought about a great evolution."

Toni Nadal won 14 Grand Slams as Rafa's coach up until the end of 2017 but he could never bask in the joy of celebrating an ATP Finals title, despite Rafa's status as one of the greatest of all time.

Toni claims it was partly down to the game's reluctance to embrace change why his nephew never won an ATP title. He said: "My nephew has never won the Finals because they've never been played on clay.

"Rafael has always played well on all surfaces, but he almost always reached the end of the season feeling very tired physically." Tennis should change like football did in the 1990s, but that won't happen: it suits the top players for everything to stay the same."