With Rafael Nadal lacing up to wave a reluctant goodbye to tennis, he leaves with an aura of supremacy, knowing that barely anyone has been able to get the better of him during his long career.
Rafael Nadal’s incredible career, spanning more than two decades, is set to conclude next week at the Davis Cup, marking the end of an era.
Over the years, the Spanish icon has captured 22 Grand Slam titles, including a record-shattering 14 French Open crowns.
Notably, he boasts a positive head-to-head record against both Andy Murray and Roger Federer, while he trails Novak Djokovic 29-31 in what will remain of the the greatest sporting rivalries of all time.
However, even Nadal hasn’t been immune to the occasional shock loss, including a stunning upset on the very court he’s dominated like no other – Philippe Chatrier.
As he prepares for his final bow, we remember one of Nadal’s conquerors who descended into nothing, retiring from the sport aged just 26.
Robin Soderling: Rafael Nadal’s unlikely nemesis
Robin Soderling burst onto the global tennis stage at the 2009 French Open, where he made history as the first player to defeat Nadal at Roland Garros.
To make matters more remarkable, Nadal would go on to win his next 39 matches at Roland Garros before suffering his second defeat there, to Djokovic in 2015.
At the time, the Spaniard was unbeaten at the tournament since his debut in 2005 and had claimed four consecutive titles.
Both controversially and rather memorably, Soderling mocked Nadal’s mannerisms throughout the affair, as well as failing to apologise for a lucky net-cord – bizarre behavior that only adds flavour to this already incredible moment.
Soderling’s remarkable run saw him beat two-time semi-finalist Nikolay Davydenko in the last eight and edge out Fernando Gonzalez in a gruelling five-set semi-final, before falling to Federer in the final – the Swiss’ only Roland Garros title.
In 2010, Soderling returned to the French Open final for the second year in a row. Along the way, he avenged Federer in the quarter-finals, ending his astonishing streak of 23 consecutive Grand Slam semi-final appearances.
The Swede then battled past Tomas Berdych in another five-set thriller in the semi’s, but his campaign ended with a straight-sets defeat to Nadal in the final – the Spaniard got his revenge in the end! Indeed Nadal remains the overall winner of their eight clashes, having won six.
Unfortunately, Soderling’s professional career came to an early end at 26 years old due to a prolonged battle with glandular fever.
- READ MORE: Carlos Alcaraz makes Davis Cup prediction ahead of Rafael Nadal’s ‘emotional’ last tournament
A handful of other unknown Rafael Nadal conquerors
In 2015, German dynamo Dustin Brown shocked the tennis world by defeating Nadal in the second-round at Wimbledon.
The defeat marked Nadal’s fourth consecutive Wimbledon exit to an opponent ranked outside the top 100, all of which occurred before the quarter-finals.
His previous unexpected losses came against Lukas Rosol in 2012, Steve Darcis in 2013, and a fresh-faced Nick Kyrgios in 2014.
With Nadal’s two Wimbledon titles coming in 2008 and 2010, it’s arguable that he never fully recovered from the string of upsets that followed.
Despite his success in other Grand Slams, those early losses at Wimbledon to lower-ranked players seemed to have a lasting impact on his performances at the All England Club in the years that followed.
Receive exclusive tennis news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
