Rafa Nadal's uncle calls for huge change in tennis that could shake up the pecking order - The Mirror

Toni Nadal, the uncle and former coach of Rafael Nadal, has called for a radical change to tennis

Tennis legend Rafael Nadal's uncle and former coach, Toni, has made a controversial call for sweeping reforms to make the sport "less violent". The 64-year-old has argued that shrinking racket sizes could help prevent injuries as players cope with a punishing calendar. However, such a move could shake-up the pecking order as players would be forced to completely re-tune their technique.

Toni has also maintained that tennis has evolved into a spectacle centred on raw power, with the former coach regarded as one of the sport's most vocal critics.

"Many will disagree, but the real problem is that the ball is getting faster and faster," the outspoken ex-trainer 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 answer is straightforward: the sport requires smaller rackets, a proposal he has championed 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."

However, Toni doubts the sport will take notice of his concerns, explaining: "The managers are only interested in the best players. And they prefer everything to stay the same."

He pointed to football's evolution as a blueprint for how tennis might adapt, saying: "Football. After the Italia '90 World Cup, they introduced three new rules: the back pass to the goalkeeper, who could no longer handle it.

"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 guided Rafa to 14 Grand Slam triumphs during their partnership, which lasted until the close of 2017, yet the ATP Finals crown remained frustratingly out of reach throughout his nephew's legendary career.

Toni claims the sport's resistance to change partly explains why his nephew never claimed an ATP Finals 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."