Alexander Zverev admits Rafael Nadal ‘can tell me exactly what he thinks’ after Mallorca advice
Alexander Zverev has revealed that Rafael Nadal “doesn’t have to beat around the bush” with advice after spending time with the tennis icon in Mallorca.
World No 3 Zverev spent time with 22-time Grand Slam champion Nadal and the Spaniard’s uncle, legendary coach Toni, at the Rafa Nadal Academy in Mallorca earlier this summer.
The move came after a difficult few months for the German, which culminated in a shock round-one loss at Wimbledon, prolonging his quest for a first Grand Slam title.
Zverev was seen working with ‘Uncle Toni’ in Mallorca and later revealed that he had also spent time with former world No 1 Nadal, who retired from the sport last November.
The three-time major finalist’s decision came after a spate of criticism, including from the likes of Boris Becker, around his coaching situation.
The 28-year-old has spent the bulk of his career coached by his father, Alexander Snr, with his brother Mischa having also joined his team in recent years.
Past coaching relationships with the likes of Ivan Lendl and Juan Carlos Ferrero have failed to develop into long-term partnerships, with a lack of outside influence raised as a concern by some.
While still working with his father on a day-to-day basis, Zverev has revealed in an interview with Eurosport Germany that Nadal, whom he faced 11 times, was able to offer an invaluable “perspective” of his career.
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“I think I’ve spent my whole life with my dad,” said Zverev.
“I have one of the best father-son relationships in the tennis world. I love my dad. We never argue. But sometimes it’s nice to hear the same thing, but from someone else.
“I spent a lot of time with Rafa, which was great for me, which helped me. He has one of the best perspectives on my game because he’s played against me before.
“Now, as a spectator, he can tell me exactly what he thinks. He doesn’t have to beat around the bush. He can get straight to the point. At the end of the day, it’s still Rafa Nadal.
“When he talks about tennis, I think everyone always listens. So it was great to spend time with them.
“Their perspective on tennis and their knowledge about it are unmatched. So I’m very grateful to have had those opportunities.”
Zverev’s comments come ahead of his US Open campaign, where he will look to finally win the Grand Slam title that has so far eluded him.
The world No 3 has recently been a runner-up at the 2024 French Open and 2025 Australian Open, though his best chance to seal a Grand Slam title may have come in New York.
He held a two-set and a break lead in the 2020 US Open final against Dominic Thiem, and ultimately served for the championship in the final set, before falling in a fifth-set tiebreak.
Zverev was also a semi-finalist at the event in 2021, falling to Novak Djokovic in five sets, and was beaten in the last eight by Taylor Fritz in 2024.
The third seed has landed in the same half of the draw as world No 1 and defending champion Jannik Sinner, and starts his campaign on Tuesday against Alejandro Tabilo.
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