By Erik Gudris                                                        Photo Credit:  AFP/Getty Images

(February 14, 2012) Ever heard of the band Kent? Unless you live in Sweden or a huge fan of Swedish music, the group probably doesn't sound familiar. They released one record in English back in the late 90's but with little success outside their country, they stuck to making music in their native tongue with great success. The band is one of Robin Soderling's favorites, so much so a couple of years ago he posted on his Twitter account. "I love KENT, best music on this planet!"

Liking a particular band is all up to personal taste and, in a way, the same can be said for whether or not a tennis fan roots for a specific player or not. Soderling, with his thundering serve, a distinctive forehand that looks like he's trying to swing a cast iron frying pan and that fist shake of his on big points, used all of these to propel himself as high as No. 4 back in 2010. But it was his personality that probably sealed the deal on whether someone came to like or dislike the tall Swede from Tibro.

Soderling admitted in an interview with Deuce magazine that he didn't join the tour to make friends and his "strong" personality, as described by his former coach Magnus Norman, initially rubbed some players (Rafael Nadal, anyone?) and fans the wrong way. Soderling's persona as "the most hated man in tennis" earned him loyal followers and ardent haters for a variety of reasons. Some of it deserved, some not.  But manners aside, probably the biggest reason why fans of Nadal didn't care for Soderling was that he could always be counted on as a darkhorse to possibly disrupt the Spaniard or any of the other members of the "big four" as they are now called these days during the second week of a big event, especially at Roland Garros where Soderling reached the finals two years in a row.

As he became more successful, Soderling eventually loosened up a bit as he rose up the ranks and became a fixture in the top five. One could say he's become even more open over the last several months as he continues to battle with mononucleosis that forced him out of action after he won his last title in Båstad. Since then, Soderling has been unable to compete or train until his body allows him to do so. Just the other day, he posted on his Facebook page, "I was hoping to be ready for tournaments in February but unfortunately I am not there yet. The good news is that the symptoms of the mono like sore throat and fever are gone, but for some reason my body still cannot handle intense training, I get very tired when I do something physical. I am working with my medical team to understand why and what the next step is."

Soderling's absence has not only left a big void with his fans but also on the whole tour as he appeared to be cementing his place in the top five. It's hard to believe that only twelve months ago, Soderling had won three titles early in the year and looked to be priming himself for another deep run at a Major. Now with Soderling's return still up in the air, there's a real sense of urgency that at age 27, he may miss out on the prime stages of his career if a solution to his health issues are not found soon. For a player who is something of a late bloomer in terms of his development and success, the hope is that his best days, once he is fully recovered, are just ahead of him.

Until then, this week's Rotterdam event and the rest of the tournaments coming up this spring will feel incomplete without seeing the Swede's clenched fist shaking in vigorous response to a well-played point. Like his favorite band, Soderling achieved success by sticking to the roots of his game and himself, even if it didn't translate into overwhelming popularity to a wide audience right away. But perhaps due to his longer than expected absence and because of his candor in dealing with the biggest test of his career, Robin Soderling may yet emerge a stronger person and player who will find himself with a whole new audience eager to listen to his thundering serve and cracking forehand in packed arenas all across the world.