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
2009 ATP World Tour Finals Southern Financial Group Masters. Nadal has a 4–4 record at the championship and reached the semifinals in 2006 and 2007. This is his 3rd appearance On 5 July – after the 2009 Wimbledon Championships – Roger Federer of Switzerland who won his 15th Slam at the tournament over Andy Roddick was announced as the second qualifier. Roger Federer began the year with a loss to Rafael Nadal at the final of the Australian Open. He won his first title of the year at the Mutua Madrileña Madrid Open defeating Nadal in the final. For his first win over Nadal since