The incredible story linking Stan Wawrinka, Flavio Cobolli, Magnus Norman and the Italian's father

In the third round of the Shanghai Masters 2024, Novak Djokovic is going to face Flavio Cobolli, a promising 22-year-old player who has been improving every year. The Italian has defeated Stan Wawrinka, one of the most historic tennis players in recent years, in his debut in the tournament. It seemed a match without more, but there is something that unites the two that few people know.

Cobolli's father, Stefano, was also a tennis player. He did not have a great career, his best ATP Ranking was 236th. He is now dedicated to coaching his son. The curious thing comes because in 2003, Stefano Cobolli faced Stan Wawrinka in the quarterfinals of a Challenger in Brindisi. He beat him 4-6, 6-3, 6-3, coming from behind, like Flavio in Shanghai, and with the same result in the third and last set.

But the story does not end there. The best tournament Stefano Cobolli ever played on the ATP Tour was in Umag (where Carlos Alcaraz won his first ATP title at the age of 18 years and 2 months), when he reached the second round. There he was defeated in three sets by Magnus Norman. And you may wonder who Magnus Norman is. Well, he is Stan Wawrinka's coach.

He led him to win his three Grand Slam titles (Australian Open 2014, Roland Garros 2015 and US Open 2016), to world No. 3 and to display the best tennis ever played by the Swiss. He was also there for the 2017 French Open final and for the 2014 Monte Carlo Masters 1000, the only trophy Wawrinka has in his trophy cabinets in this category.

After a 2-year separation, Stan the Man returned to have Norman on his bench from 2022. With him, he returned to the Top 50 after great difficulties and played again an ATP final, almost four years after the previous one, curiously in Umag, in 2023. Previously, the Swede coached his compatriot Robin Soderling in 2009 and 2010, the two best years of his career and in which he reached the final of Roland Garros, losing to Roger Federer, in his only title in Paris, and Rafael Nadal, wanting revenge for what happened the previous year and in one of his 14 trophies in the French capital, respectively.