Nadal Loses French Open 2009

The Bull Gets Bulldozed

Who would have thought that Andy Roddick would make it into the second week of the 2009 French Open, while the king of clay, Rafael Nadal, would not? In the fourth round of Roland Garros on Sunday, May 31, 2009, Rafa's undefeated French Open streak (31 matches) would come to an end at the hands of Sweden's Robin Soderling. Ironic that this, one of the greatest upsets in French Open history, would involve the unseating of a king by a Swede, whereas the last reigning French Open champion, Bjorn Borg, was a Swede. Borg's 41 set winning streak was broken in 1981 by Adriano Panatta, the only player to defeat him at the French Open.

How Did Nadal Lose?

In his post match press conference, Rafa was bombarded with questions aimed at finding the leak in his performance on Sunday.
"The truth is," Nadal said, "I lost. I simply lost." In other words, he wasn't trying to find excuses. Those that are, are quick to point out how the change in conditions from the high-altitude tournament in Madrid (where the ball flew faster and bounced less), which took place just prior to Roland Garros, ill-suited Nadal's French Open training regimen.

Then they talk about the excessive number of matches Nadal had to play prior to the French Open (including a tournament win in Barcelona, where Nadal felt he had to play given the tournament took place in his home country). They'll mention that Sunday's conditions were windy and dry, giving Nadal difficulty and aiding Soderling's aggressive style (the ball flew faster and bounced lower). They'll even go as far to say that the emotional tension between Soderling and Nadal unnerved Rafa and made him tighten up at crucial moments.

Soderling Strikes Back

There's a small history between Rafa and Robin, and it's not pretty. The last time these two met at Wimbledon, Nadal squeezed out a tight five set victory, amidst Soderling's comments and jokes (such as making fun of him by tugging at the seat of his shorts). And instead of a handshake, Rabin handed him a slap well turned in the other direction. He then promptly exited the arena. The Soderling fans will recognize this behavior, as well the players, who are not huge fans of Robin based on his conduct in the locker room. Rafa, for example, mentioned that he has tried to say hello to Soderling about six times, all of which went unacknowledged by the Swede.

Needless to say, there is not much love lost between the two. As a result of this tension, Rafa treated their last encounter, in Rome (also on clay), like a final - dismantling Robin 6-1, 6-0. Soderling insists, however, that he was on the path to learning how to defeat the Nadal at the time. Apparently he's made a few believers.

Is This Federer's Chance to Win the French Open?

If anyone was breaking out the bubbly on Sunday evening, we would surmise it was none other than world number two Roger Federer. Roger has come up short against Rafa in four French Open finals. It is the only slam that he is missing from his impressive resume, and one that many consider what undoubtedly cement him in the history of tennis as the greatest player of all time.
The question is, will the realization that his goal is finally in sight place too much pressure on Federer? This week will tell. Other players in the running include, obviously, Soderling, number three player in the world Andy Murray, the Frenchman Tsonga, the Russian Davydenko, and of course the only American left in the draw, Andy Roddick. Stay tuned to Tales of Tennis for more.