Which player defeated Rafael Nadal in the 2009 French Open?

Robin Söderling defeated Rafael Nadal in the 2009 French Open. The Swedish player won their fourth-round match in four sets, ending Nadal’s unbeaten start at Roland Garros.

Nadal had won the French Open in each of his first four appearances, from 2005 through 2008, and entered the 2009 tournament as the defending champion. Söderling, ranked 23rd, produced a major upset by winning 6–2, 6–7, 6–4, 7–6 on May 31, 2009.

The defeat ended Nadal’s 31-match winning streak at the French Open. It was also his first loss in the tournament, and it remained his only French Open defeat between his debut in 2005 and his next loss there in 2015. Söderling went on to reach the final, where Roger Federer defeated him.

A frequent mix-up is remembering Federer as Nadal’s 2009 French Open opponent. Federer did win the tournament, but he defeated Söderling in the final. Nadal’s elimination came one round earlier, against Söderling, making the stored answer unambiguously correct.