There is arguably no better version of any athlete ever than Rafael Nadal on a clay court.
And there is perhaps no harder challenge in sports than defeating Nadal at Roland Garros, a feat only three players have ever managed.
One of those players was Alexander Zverev, who picked up a win over the Spaniard on his old stomping ground towards the end of his career in 2024.
Novak Djokovic overcame Nadal twice at Roland Garros, doing so in the 2015 quarterfinals as well as the 2021 semifinals
Robin Soderling’s victory over Rafael Nadal at Roland Garros in 2009
In the fourth round of the French Open in 2009, Nadal and Soderling met for the fourth time.
Nadal had won their first three matches on the tour, and had handed Soderling a heavy 6-1, 6-0 defeat just weeks prior on clay at the Italian Open.
Clearly, Soderling had learned some lessons from that loss in Italy, as he went on to deliver one of the biggest upsets of all time in the French capital
You have to play a little bit flatter than you usually do, play close to the baseline and take your chances.
“You need to play with smaller margins and take some risks because no one will beat him staying two metres from the baseline and beating him on his own terms. You have to take the initiative.”
Soderling advanced to the final of Roland Garros that year, but ultimately lost to Federer.