Reuters
Tennis – Australian Open – Melbourne Park, Melbourne, Australia, February 16, 2021 Serena Williams of the U.S. and her coach Patrick Mouratoglou during a practice session REUTERS/Loren Elliott
Reuters
Tennis – Australian Open – Melbourne Park, Melbourne, Australia, February 16, 2021 Serena Williams of the U.S. and her coach Patrick Mouratoglou during a practice session REUTERS/Loren Elliott
You have seen him dodge and dribble past defenders and nutmeg goalkeepers on the way to producing some magical moments in soccer. However, it now appears that soccer isn’t the only sport that Brazilian legend Ronaldo revels in. The soccer great shared an image of him playing tennis on his Instagram page.
Ronaldo’s tennis skills leave Serena Williams’ coach Patrick Mouratoglou pleasantly surprised
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In the frame, Ronaldo is seen getting into shape and unleashing a perfect one-handed backhand. The execution of the shot, arguably the most difficult in the game, has won him praises galore.
The likes of Brazilian tennis star Marcelo Melo, former Spain and Real Madrid superstar Iker Casillas and Serena Williams’ coach Patrick Mouratoglou reacted to his post and left glowing comments on his tennis skills.
In a cheeky remark, Melo said if the image is any indication, it would appear that three-time Grand Slam champion Stan Wawrinka, who has one of the best backhands in contemporary tennis, borrowed the shot from Ronaldo.
⚽🎾 ¿Qué tal ese revés? 🇧🇷💥
📷: @Ronaldo (IG)
— ATP Tour en Español (@ATPTour_ES) March 4, 2021
“Wawrinka copied your backhand for sure!” Melo wrote.
Mouratoglou, who, apart from the 23-time Grand Slam champion, also works with Greek tennis star Stefanos Tsitsipas, was also deeply impressed with Ronaldo’s shot making.
“I love it. The one-handed backhand is the best shot in tennis,” Mouratoglou, nicknamed ‘The Coach’, said.
Ronaldo’s love for tennis often takes him to French Open, Rio Open and Mutua Madrid Open
Casillas, one of the best goalkeepers of his time, also praised his former Brazilian teammate’s one-handed backhand, saying for a moment, he was confused if it was Rafael Nadal or his old friend Ronaldo.
Reuters
Tennis – Australian Open – Melbourne Park, Melbourne, Australia, February 10, 2021, Switzerland’s Stan Wawrinka in action during his second round match against Hungary’s Marton Fucsovics. Crowd capacity for this years event has been capped at 30,000 following the outbreak of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) REUTERS/Asanka Brendon Ratnayake
“I thought you were @rafaelnadal,” Casillas wrote.
Sharing details about Ronaldo that not many know, Melo said the soccer great is an avid tennis buff and visits Madrid from time to time.
During his playing years, the soccer stalwart also represented Real Madrid with distinction, scoring bucket-loads of goals and becoming a darling of the Madridistas.
His love for tennis often takes him to tournaments such as the French Open, Rio Open, and the Mutua Madrid Open.
