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
2013 French Open – Men's Singles 2013 French Open – Men's Singles Rafael Nadal was the three-time defending champion and successfully defended his title by defeating compatriot, and good friend, David Ferrer who reached his first Grand Slam final 6–3, 6–2, 6–3. Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal were placed in the same half of the draw at a Grand Slam tournament for the first time since the 2010 French Open. In their semifinal, they played a notably long match which lasted 4:37 hours and was dubbed one of the greatest matches ever to have been played and the best clay court match ever. Nadal eventually came