May 31, 2009. Roland Garros center court. Rafael Nadal suffered his first loss at the Parisian Grand Slamwhich ended a streak that led him to add 31 consecutive victories and four titles.
The culprit for breaking that streak was none other than Robin Soderling. The Swede surprised the Spaniard, and everyone watching the match, with a tremendous display of backcourt play that was destroyed by a Nadal who was not having the best of days.
Almost 14 years have passed since that moment and their lives are different now. Rafa is still in the elite and it is expected that in a few weeks he will return to the slopes to begin his umpteenth assault on Roland Garros, while Robin had to leave tennis early due to mononucleosis.
Now they are both parents. Rafa in just four months, Robin for 10 years, the age of his daughter Oliviawho seems ready to follow in his father’s footsteps in the world of tennis.
The girl is starting to play tournaments around the world and one of them brought her to the Rafa Nadal Academywhere he met and was photographed with the winner of 22 Grand Slam titles.
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A day that will surely remain etched in your memory for a long time.
Source: La Verdad
I’m Robert Maynard, and I am a passionate journalist with experience in sports writing. For the last few years, I have been writing for Today Times Live. My main focus has been on sports-related stories and features. With my strong background in journalism and extensive knowledge of the industry, I am able to provide readers with well-crafted pieces that are both informative and engaging.
