Alexander Zverev opened up about a week he spent in Mallorca with Rafael Nadal and his uncle Toni Nadal, as he tries to convince Nadal’s uncle to join his coaching team in an official capacity. The German player is still on the hunt for his first major title and is thinking about a coaching switch from his father, Alexander Zverev Sr, after a shock first-round defeat at Wimbledon last month.
Alexander Zverev has talked about how thankful he is to have spent time with tennis legend Rafael Nadal.
The German spent time with the 22-time Grand Slam champion in Mallorca.
Zverev was on the Spanish island working with the Spaniard’s uncle and long-time former coach Toni Nadal.
The 28-year-old is preparing for the US Open after a shock defeat in the first round of Wimbledon, and was at the Rafa Nadal Academy in Mallorca gaining valuable advice from both Nadals.
“Spending the week in Majorca, the intensity that Rafa played at, that is the intensity that he coaches at. It was unbelievable,” Zverez told the Nothing Major podcast.
“We had dinner and I was so thankful for that, he was unbelievable, but we had dinners until 1 am together, and in the middle of dinner he would stand up and do swinging forehands and show me what technique he wants me to improve on. It was unbelievable how into it he was.”
He added: “He told me during the week, I don’t know how many times, that I need to be more brave. He said I need to take it on to myself in the most important moments. I know that as well, but hearing it from someone like him.
“I played him in some of the big matches, I played him at Roland Garros a few times and we had big matches.
“He always told me when you are aggressive, it’s so difficult to hurt you because I could always move quite well, so I could find the aggressive game from difficult positions.
“But it is when I hold back that I become vulnerable; it’s when I become more one-dimensional as well.”
Zverev admitted that he is trying to convince Toni Nadal to coach him in an official capacity, but that he had to turn him down due to other ongoing commitments.
A three-time Grand Slam finalist, Zverev is missing a major title and his coaching partnerships in the last few years have been short-lived.
His father, Alexander Zverev Sr, has been his main coaching influence. Earlier this year, Boris Becker suggested his father’s coaching was “not good enough” to win a Grand Slam and that he should make a change.
“I think Toni enjoyed it as well,” Zverev added.
“I am not sure how much you are going to see of Toni this year, because his schedule is quite packed. He is giving a lot of speeches and has a lot of things to do with the academy.
“I think starting from next year, you might see him a lot more.”
With the US Open approaching, Zverev is at the Canadian Open where he is slated to face Francisco Cerundolo in the round of 16.