Rafael Nadal lost the final of the Madrid Open to Roger Federer. This was the first time that Nadal had lost to Federer since the semifinals of the 2007 Tennis Masters Cup. By beating Lleyton Hewitt in the third round of French Open, Nadal set a record of 31 consecutive wins at Roland Garros, beating the previous record of 28 by Björn Borg. This run came to an end on 31 May 2009, when Nadal lost to eventual runner-up, Robin Söderling in the 4th round. This was Nadal's first and, until 2015, only loss at the French Open. After his surprise defeat
2011 French Open – Day-by-day summaries French Open mixed doubles crown, securing the title after a super tie-break, 7–6, 4–6, [10–7]. Rafael Nadal survived a hard-fought three-sets win. In a match in windy conditions, the no.1 seed outlasted Andy Murray 6–4, 7–5, 6–4. The two traded blows for over three hours, with almost every rally worthy of the highlight reels. The difference in the end was that five-time champion Nadal did what great players do – he won the big points. As night fell over Roland Garros on Friday, fans were treated to one of the all-time great French Open semi-finals. It ended with Roger Federer