By special request, I’m going to address the reasons for Robin Soderling’s pesky image problem. Nearly every article about Soderling has described him as “unpopular” or “not well liked.” What is it about this guy that gets under people’s skin? The oft-cited dustup with Rafael Nadal in 2007 is a good place to start.
The two were about to play a tiebreak when Soderling decided to stall Nadal by running to the chair to change racquets. When Nadal was visibly annoyed, Soderline imitated Nadal winding up his arms before the serve. He stepped up to the baseline to return Nadal’s serve, but abruptly walked away before Rafa could serve it. Finally, he committed the cardinal sin by mimicking Nadal for picking his wedge.
I think mocking Nadal’s wedge-picking is fair game because it’s irritating, but Nadal was furious. This kind of behavior is rare in the men’s game, circa 2009. Rafa and Roger have created a mutual respect paradigm that all the players seem to follow. Soderling has violated this protocol in little ways, like refusing to apologize for winning a point on a net cord. Waiving your hand to acknowledge you got lucky is ingrained in every person who has ever played tennis, from the hacker to the pro, even though it really doesn’t make sense.
If this all seems minor to you, that’s because it is. There are hundreds of professional tennis players. They aren’t all going to be best friends. Some players are lone wolves, some travel with entourages, many share coaches. Not everyone gets along. What seems to set Soderling apart is that he is rude and who has no desire to make nice with anyone. He’s one of those people who may not acknowledge that you just said hi to him in the locker room. In addition to ignoring his fellow players, Soderling has a reputation for being a rage machine.
Soderling defended his reputation:
`I’m not going to change the way I am. It’s just tennis. Maybe I don’t say hello to the players all the time, but I’m always nervous and tense before a match,” said Soderling.
“I don’t like to speak much before a match. It’s nothing to do with the other players. I just don’t like to lose.”
There are probably anecdotes about Soderling that haven’t bubbled up to the press yet. (For example, I remember when Marcelo Rios, another villain, called Monica Seles a fat cow when he was behind her in the Wimbledon buffet line. The press found out. He never lived that down.) But what’s interesting is that Soderling seems to thrive on being hated. It fuels him. He loves playing the role of the spoiler.
I have a feeling Soderling is not as awful as advertised. He may have acted like a jerk one too many times, and then reacted to criticism by being more defensive. His press conferences revealed a player who is obviously in love with the game, respectful of its traditions and eager to add to the Swedish legacy.
Former French Open champion Mats Wilander suggested that Soderling is really motivated to honor his coach, Magnus Norman, by winning for him. Interesting theory. He has been heaping praise on Norman in every presser. It was not that long ago that Norman was the world number two, playing in the French Open final. He was known as a good guy, dated Martina Hingis before he wound up having to retire after a hip injury.
Can Norman guide Soderling to a victory against Federer? The odds are certainly against him. The court has been playing more faster than usual, which is to his advantage since his best surface is indoor carpet. The problem is the weather is going to be cooler, slowing down the court considerably. He is 0-9 against The Mighty Fed. Pat Cash breaks down why TMF is so good against players who have power but no variety.
Passing Shots 
Posted on June 7, 2009
0