Publications
Partners
Mexico City - Carlos Moya, who recently joined the coaching team of 14-time Grand Slam winner Rafael Nadal, feels that the Spanish superstar has from three-to-five years left on the ATP Tour depending on things like fitness.
Moya joined Nadal's coaching team of Toni Nadal and Francis Roig in December 2016 and since then there has been a big improvement in the player’s performances of late.
The 30-year-old has struggled over the past two
years with injuries but is fully fit now and his results show it.
So far in 2017, Nadal reached the quarter-finals in Brisbane
losing to Milos Raonic, who Moya coached in 2016, then the Australian Open
final going down to Roger Federer in a thriller and this week reached the final
in Acapulco losing to Sam Querrey.
In an interview in Acapulco carried by the tournament
website, Moya, the 40-year-old former world number one, said though he did not
expect Nadal to equal his past results he did feel he could help his charge
challenge for top honours in all tournaments he took part in going
forward.
"It will be almost impossible to equal the results he had in the past, but on the other side, I am next to a player who won many Grand Slam titles and who was World No. 1. It makes your job easier," said Moya. "A good coach always needs a good player to do well, and from this point of view with Rafa, it's easier.
"Me and his team try to transfer him our ideas, we want the best for him. He started well the year and we think that he is back or is on the way to be at his best level that can allow him to compete for everything.
"This is our goal. I am convinced that Rafa is doing
well physically, he is willing and excited. I think that Rafael Nadal will be
there for a while."
Moya added that despite coaching a very different type of
player now as compared to Raonic he was trying to suit Nadal's conditions to
bring him success.
"Raonic is in full swing and is trying to find his
game. The other one is a player who won everything and that has 3-4-5 years
left and who did a little bit bad in the last two years.
"Expectations are different, nor more nor less, but are different. The coach needs to suit to the player's condition and that's what I am trying to do," he added.
