Robin Söderling

And I don't think as storytellers we have forgotten that Federer didn't beat Nadal or that we don't care that he didn't beat Nadal.

I think as storytellers, we are telling the story of Robin Soderling beating Rafa Nadal every time we tell the story of Federer winning Roland Garros.

Now, for Roger, it was still an incredible triumph for so many reasons regardless.

He really had one chance, one chance in his whole career to win RG without having to go through Rafa and to take it, to go one for one and to come through some tense moments and a great match against a guy like Juan Martin Del Potro.

Yeah.

You know, it's, it, it's, it's so often, I think of Robin Söderling one year, uh, I think it was Wimbledon and, you know, Federer beat him in straight sets, but this, the point differentiation was seven, seven different, you know, Federer won seven more points.

You know, Tommy Paul, he, he, he still won 43% of the points when he played against Alcaraz.

Mm-hmm.

It doesn't ch- It, it changes depending on how you're feeling, depending on how you're playing, depending on what's happened to you the week before.

And here, regarding that first set, Mary Carillo was like, "Wow, you know, I can't believe he's struggling with nerves so much." And I'm like, well, it's a bit like Federer the day after, uh, Nadal lost to Söderling, and we saw how he's playing against Tommy Haas.

Because everyone going into this tournament knew there was a big opportunity, especially for the Americans, I think, think with Shelton, Tiafoe, even Tommy Paul.

Um, you know, they all went into this tournament and, and we saw it maybe even with, okay, not, not an American, but with Arthur Fils or Rafa Nadal, they all went into this tournament going, "You know what? I could make the final if, if this happens." And it didn't need to be much.

Yeah.

Söderling in the f- like, are you, like-

No

... is that the, you're telling me Söderling is better than today's Shelton? Like, come on.

I, I, yeah, but it's-

I can, I don't care.

It felt so heavy.

It instantly made me think of Robin Soderling.

Wait, Leo.

Do you really think Draper's ranking collapse is going to be that severe? Söderling's career was, like, tragically cut short by mononucleosis.

There are.

I don't know if you remember the name Robin Söderling.

Yes.

I remember Söderling, yeah.