Arjen Robben, the former Chelsea and Real Madrid winger, has turned professional in a new sport four years after hanging up his boots. The legendary Dutchman was one of the finest players of his generation, winning countless trophies including the Champions League in 2013. He also lifted domestic titles in three countries and played in the World Cup final in 2010.
Since ending his football career in 2021, the 41-year-old has developed a burning passion for a brand new sport. He now plays padel, a racket game which bears similarities to tennis and squash. It is experiencing a huge boom in popularity and Robben has been caught up in the hype train.
He isn't just doing it as a hobby, either. The former winger is embarking on a professional career in the sport and has even earned himself a world ranking.
Earlier this year, Robben won his first ranking points in the International Padel Federation when he entered the FIP Bronze Westerbork tournament in the Netherlands.
Teaming up with Werner Lootsma, the pair overcame six match points to defeat Ralph Boekema and Mark Weldmate, reaching the main draw in the process.
However, they were outclassed in their next match against Sten Richters and Thijs Roper, who are both ranked inside the world's top 200.
Despite the heavy nature of their defeat, Robben and his partner were watched by hundreds of eager fans and the former Chelsea winger made a big impression on the court.
Speaking afterwards, Richters and Roper said: "He's the best former professional footballer we know who plays padel."
Robben, meanwhile, commented: "I don't think I can take myself too seriously. I started with low expectations, but I tried to fight on the court, and score as many points as possible."
He has been playing padel since he was at Bayern Munich and has previously spoken about looking to emulate former footballers turning to the sport.
Robben pointed to the impact of a fellow sporting legend, saying: "Zlatan Ibrahimovic made padel an important sport in Sweden, and I think I can do the same in the Netherlands."
The iconic winger is currently ranked 1,980th in the world with three ranking points to his name. He is a long way off top spot, with Agustine Tapia and Arturo Coello joint-highest on the leaderboard with 20,200 points each.
Incredibly, fifth-placed Franco Stupaczuk is closer to Robben than he is to the top of the world rankings. Stupaczuk is currently on 8,835 points, which is 8,832 ahead of Robben and 11,365 behind Tapia and Coello.