adminLONDON. – Three-time Wimbledon tennis champion John McEnroe has told Rafael Nadal to “get a new damn coach”. The 14-time Grand Slam champion has failed to make it past a major quarter-final this year after losing to Wimbledon qualifier Dustin Brown.
McEnroe said the 29-year-old should drop his long-term coach, uncle Toni Nadal after his second-round exit.
“It might be time for some fresh blood in the Nadal camp,” McEnroe said on BBC Radio 5 live’s 6-Love-6.
Nadal lifted the title on Centre Court in 2008 and 2010, but has not progressed past the fourth round since losing the 2011 final to Novak Djokovic.
The Spaniard has said his best days at Wimbledon may be behind him, and McEnroe feels it is time for change.
The 56-year-old added: “Are we even allowed to say that? Uncle Toni’s going to be upset.
“I know Carlos Costa, who manages Nadal, and he’s had other people.
“They have tried to gently persuade Uncle Toni – who has done a magnificent job from when Rafa was a little kid. Clearly at this stage it would appear that some fresh ideas are in order.”
German world number 102 Brown faces Serb Viktor Troicki in round three today,
McEnroe wants the 30-year-old to build on his victory over Nadal, adding: “That to me has got to be one of the all-time great performances you’ll see from a total unknown.”
But Nadal insisted he has no intentions of quitting tennis despite slumping to a fourth successive Wimbledon humiliation on Thurs- day.
The 29-year-old Spaniard, who was Wimbledon champion in 2008 and 2010 and runner-up in 2006, 2007 and 2011, was humbled 7-5, 3-6, 6-4, 6-4 by dreadlocked German Brown, the world number 102, in the second round.
Brown, who once was so short of cash that he travelled to tournaments in a camper van, hit 13 aces and 58 winners on the back of a free-hitting, serve-and-volley barrage.
It was 29-year-old Nadal’s first ever defeat to a qualifier at a Grand Slam and came in the aftermath of losing his French Open crown where he had been champion nine times.
Thursday’s loss followed his 2012 second round exit to world 100 Lukas Rosol, a first round beating by the 135-ranked Steve Darcis in 2013 and last year’s fourth round defeat to Nick Kyrgios, who was at 144.
But the 14-time Grand Slam winner and former world number one vowed to fight on in an effort to restore his reputation as the sport’s most feared competitor.
“So I lost. Sad today for that, obviously,” said Nadal, who came into the tournament ranked at 10, his lowest in a decade.
“But that’s sport. Good moments, bad moments. Obviously today is a bad moment for me. I just need to accept these kind of things can happen. I did that all my career.” – AFP.
Peter Tanyanyiwa
Online Reporter