Soderling Looks Back With Regret

Robin Soderling is confident he could have won majors in tennis had illness not curtailed his career in 2011. The Swede won an ATP Masters 100 final in Paris in 2010 after a straight-sets defeat of Gael Monfils in 2010 and also got to two French Open finals in 2009 and 2010 but lost in both to Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal respectively. 

He also won ten minor ranking ATYP titles and was tipped for big things, reaching a highest ranking of world number four in November 2010. 

However, he suffered a wrist injury in 2011 and was then diagnosed with glandular fever, which he recovered very slowly from. 

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He was off the tennis circuit until 2015 until he finally admitted defeat and retired, and says he could have gone on to achieve great things in the game, judged on the opponents he beat during his time. “The players I used to beat back in the day, like Wawrinka and Cilic, then won Grand Slam and, obviously, I think I could really have the chance to win at least one or two,” he said. “I had the best age to play tennis when I had to step away. I was the willingness to work to win a Grand Slam and become the world No. 1 for over some weeks, when Roger, Rafa or Novak were out due to injuries. “I never felt well with this situation, but my body forced me to do it. Without a doubt, I learned to accept it and value the experiences I could live while I played professional tennis.”