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“Love It”: Serena Williams’ Coach and Others Praise Soccer Legend Ronaldo’s One-Handed Backhand

Published 03/04/2021, 9:28 AM EST

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via Reuters

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

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.

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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.

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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.

“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.

via Reuters

“I thought you were @rafaelnadal,” Casillas wrote.

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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.

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Coach Patrick Mouratoglou Indicates Serena Williams Is Far From Retirement Following Australian Open Exit

His love for tennis often takes him to tournaments such as the French Open, Rio Open, and the Mutua Madrid Open.

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Written by:

Priyabrata Chowdhury

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Priyabrata Chowdhury is a tennis author for EssentiallySports. He has been a print journalist for a decade, producing news pages for leading national dailies such as the Hindustan Times and The New Indian Express. His passion for sports eventually drove him to tennis writing.
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