Robin Söderling’s career burned bright but fast, hitting its crescendo with the two French Open finals, and wins over modern greats Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer en route. And like any good raconteur, he doesn’t need a second invitation. “I will never get annoyed answering questions or talking about that,” Soderling says.
“I am very proud of the two tournaments, and I am always glad and grateful that people have shown so much passion and appreciation for it.” It’s hard not to appreciate what Soderling accomplished at Roland Garros in 2009. Not only was he the first to defeat Rafael Nadal in his natural habitat, but Soderling’s defeat in the final allowed Roger Federer to win his first (and, going by the Swiss’ recent meticulous scheduling, perhaps only) French Open title and complete the career Grand Slam.
“No, he hasn’t thanked me. I’m still waiting,” Soderling told reporters on Thursday. “When he saw I beat Rafa, I think he was a little bit happy, of course. But maybe he could have beat him in the finals. Who knows?” On that fateful afternoon nine years ago, then world number 25 Soderling came out swinging and completed a four-set win over Nadal, who was on a 31-match unbeaten streak and going for his fifth French Open.
A month before, at Rome’s Foro Italico, the Swede could only manage to win one game against Nadal. Not many, then, were putting their money on Soderling. “The day before the match a journalist asked me, ‘Do you think Rafa will win Roland Garros this year again?’,” Soderling guffaws.
“The whole world believed I would lose, so I had to tell myself that I have to do it myself. I kept telling myself I could beat him for the entire day, and by the time I took the court, I almost felt like the favourite mentally.”
Soderling says the only time he felt nervous was when he went 6-1 up in the fourth set tie-breaker, and realised, “Oh! I really have match points and can defeat Rafael Nadal.” The 33-year-old, one of only two men (along with Novak Djokovic in 2015) to defeat Nadal at the French Open, doesn’t see anyone stopping the Spaniard from winning a record 11th title.
“Maybe (Dominic) Thiem could come up with an upset, but it’s very tough to beat him here,” says Soderling, who managed to do so by taking the match to Nadal with his confrontational tennis. “You have to be extremely aggressive and go for it. I don’t know about the underarm theory, but you must try to play a little flatter than normal to be able to hit through him.” Soderling recalls the straight-set thrashing at the hands of Nadal in the 2010 final, and adds: “You absolutely need to have a very good day, of course.”
