Why rafa hates soderling

Of course his opponent's play had a lot to do with how uncomfortable Rafa felt coming out of the starting gate. Robin Soderling started executing his aggressive game plan right away with a brilliant opening game to love. But, let's try this on for size. What I'm about to say may be a stretch, so let's just remember that this is the opinion section. Lots has been written, and still more spoken about Rafa and Robin's "feud," "the trouble that they had," or Rafa's evident dislike for this one player on tour, that boiled over in their Wimbledon match in At first it might be discounted as hearsay or hyperbole on the part of the media to play up an interpersonal issue between two players.

Who would think that two professionals would allow personal dislike to interfere with their tennis? After all, these two players have only met three times. So they wouldn't seem to have enough time to build up a meaningful dislike for one another. Besides, Soderling seems like a nice guy on TV. He doesn't seem too surly. Articles written on the matter include several references to an allegation that "nobody" likes Robin Soderling on tour. I'm still tempted to discount all this dislike fever.

Why should it matter? Ah, but one final note. Even today, people come up to me on the streets, or people I know, and at least two-three times a week I speak about this match, which is nice of course," says Soderling in a telephonic chat with TOI from Stockholm.

But Soderling's win stands out to such an extent that he often has to correct people that the bragging rights are no longer his alone. Many times I have to say 'no, well he lost to Djokovic also'. It's still unbelievable, but I'm not the only one'," he says. A couple of years after the upset, Nadal, in his autobiography, revealed how he was battling knee issues going into the French Open which would eventually also see him pull out from defending his Wimbledon crown.

Only last week, French player Jo-Wilfried Tsonga added further intrigue over Nadal's physical state at that time, claiming the Majorcan was hindered by a bad throat when he succumbed to Soderling.

Has such talk ever bothered the year-old Swede? Of course, I hear about it. I even heard what Tsonga said. But I think, losing a match, there's always explanations. I don't know why Tsonga said it, I have no idea. For sure, during my career, I gave up a couple of times during matches, but I always felt, that if I step on court, I was there to win the match. So I'm not really bothered by it," says Soderling who was forced into early retirement in due to a prolonged bout of mononucleosis.

And especially with this match, I remember it was a really good match from my side. I think many tennis players can relate to the time when you're really in the zone. All you see is the court and the ball. You don't hear the crowd, and that was one of the one of the days.

Two years earlier at Wimbledon, they faced off in a spicy third round battle which stretched over three days before Nadal finally prevailed in five sets. Those who witnessed it would surely remember Soderling getting under Nadal's skin by mimicking his quirky habit of tugging at his shorts at the start of the fifth set, while the Spaniard was preparing to serve.

It's not an act the Swede looks back on with pride, though he says Nadal's tendency to take his time between points had put him off. If someone cared, they would have spoken up. Plain and simple, soderling comes off as unprofessional with his attitude and everyone knows it. After Nadal made fun of him… Do you really think Soderling got a new racket solely to piss off Nadal?

And to top it off, mocks nadal. Soderling Fan Robin Soderling is my Hero! Why Rafa hates Berdych and Soderling!!! By eezenwa , April 26, am You must be new to tennis. By UnitedStatesOfSpange , April 26, am you could switch racquets in-between nadals service. By unhingedmind , April 26, am does anyone like berdych though?