Federer won the French Open in 2009 to complete his Career Grand Slam. He defeated Sweden’s Robin Söderling in the final at Roland-Garros in Paris.
The victory was especially significant because the French Open was the only major title missing from Federer’s collection. He had already won the Australian Open, Wimbledon and US Open, but repeated attempts on clay had ended with four runner-up finishes to Rafael Nadal. Nadal’s unexpected loss to Söderling in the 2009 fourth round opened Federer’s path through the draw.
Federer beat Söderling 6–1, 7–6(7–1), 6–4 in the final. The championship made him the sixth man in the Open Era to win all four major singles tournaments. It also matched the career achievement often called a Career Grand Slam: winning the Australian Open, French Open, Wimbledon and US Open at least once.
A nearby fact is that Federer won Wimbledon later in the same season, defeating Andy Roddick in an epic final. That title gave him a then-record 15 major championships, surpassing Pete Sampras’s total of 14.