JUST IN: Rafael Nadal splits with Long time coach, makes sudden announcement of…
Rafael Nadal has announced a new member of his team days after splitting with his long-term coach Francisco Roig. The Spaniard had worked with Roig for his entire career, and has now added Gustavo Marcaccio – a member of staff from his Rafa Nadal Academy in Mallorca – to his ‘technical team’ ahead of the 2023 season.
Nadal announced the new face on Monday following his split with Roig. The world No 2 will now have Marcaccio – who has worked at his Academy for 20 months – as part of his team, working with himself and his remaining two coaches Carlos Moya and Marc Lopez.
The 22-time Grand Slam champion announced the news with an Instagram post, writing: “Hello everyone. I want to inform you of the joining of Gustavo Marcaccio to the technical team.
“Gustavo has been working at the @rafanadalacademy since April 2021 and I understand he is a good addition to the team. It sure will help us a lot to stay on the road. Welcome Gustavo!”
Nadal also posted some footage of Marcaccio joining himself and his two coaches for a practice session at his academy as he continues his pre-season with his first tournament of the new season, the United Cup, starting on December 29.
JUST IN: Rafael Nadal splits with Long time coach, makes sudden announcement of…
The 36-year-old’s new addition comes three days after Nadal announced that he would no longer be working with Roig, who has coached him since he was a child. “When we started working together I was a kid and along with my uncle Toni, we started at the track,” Nadal said as he announced the news on Friday.
“Francis is a great technician who knows tennis very well and has helped me a lot to get better and better. I have only words of thanks and wish him all the luck in the world in his new project!”
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While the world No 2 has not hired a new tennis coach, he will now receive his technical advice from Marcaccio following Roig’s departure. Nadal has less than a month until he begins his title defence at the Australian Open, and will be hoping to start the season in form following a difficult end to 2022.
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After winning the first two Grand Slam titles of the season, the Spaniard tore his ab muscle at Wimbledon and was forced to pull out ahead of his semi-final. He then played four more tournaments all year – the Cincinnati Masters, US Open, Paris Masters and ATP Finals – where he went 4-5 in wins and losses, having revealed that he tore his ab for a second time ahead of the US Open.
