"Every day it is harder to train professional tennis players"

Fernando Murciego | 23 Apr 2025 | 21.00

Joan Boix in his interview with Fernando Murciego. Source: Punto de Break

* You can watch and bet on this match live here..

When I meet with Joan Boix (Ciutadella, 1975) in the corners of the Caja Mágica, several questions come to mind. I know I have to ask him about Alexandra Eala, his pupil, a girl who just made it to the semifinals in Miami at only 19 years old. My body also urges me to ask him about Carlos Moyá, a player he coached for seven seasons, maintaining a great personal and professional relationship. The question about his work at the Rafa Nadal Academy is a must. Anything else?

Luckily for me - and for you, the readers - Joan is in no rush to finish the interview, allowing me to delve into more complex topics such as work methodology, professional training, and managing expectations. His discourse reflects experience, though there is also a certain regret in seeing how society has changed, along with the tennis industry. Thankfully, tomorrow Iga Swiatek awaits them on the Manolo Santana Court at the Mutua Madrid Open, a match to forget about these matters and dream limitlessly.

There is a lot of excitement surrounding Alexandra Eala, how do you protect her from all these expectations?

At the Academy, we are clear that she is a special project, especially because it carries the Rafa Nadal Academy mark, ever since she arrived at age 12. If we didn't see it with that excitement, it would be impossible for it to work. Alex is young, talented, and has many areas to improve, which is ultimately what coaches enjoy. Sometimes when they bring us a player who is already very developed, it's hard to know what to say to them. With so much room for improvement, it's normal to have the tendency to look beyond to see where we can go.

When did you start working with her?

Since 2023, I remember she had a good end to the season, which allowed us to play the Australian Open Qualifying the following year. Fortunately, this season she was able to achieve this good result in Miami, and now she has the ranking she has.

Once you arrived, things started moving up.

The project is going well, but the reason is not me. I have a lot of trust in all the coaches working at the Academy; thanks to them, I can implement certain details in these tournaments. It's true that I have the experience from working with Carlos Moyá, but I didn't necessarily need to return to working with an elite player. I am very comfortable working at the Academy with any player profile. It was a surprise for me to achieve what we did in Miami; I always knew she could be in the top 100, but it all happened very quickly.

Don't be modest, coaches always find it hard to take credit for their player's successes.

Look, I am the Head Coach at the Academy in the mornings; I have around 70 kids under my supervision, and I treat them all the same. Yet, not all of them have made it to the semifinals of Miami. It's not about modesty; it's common sense. A good coach makes a big difference, in that, I agree with you, that's why we focus a lot on training coaches. Then it's crucial to find someone who is motivated and to place them in a project they believe in. I trusted Alex from the beginning, although it was Toni Nadal who initially suggested it to me. She is a very intelligent person, very easy to coach, though it's also true that everything has been going very well for her.