Why Did Nadal Really Lose to Soderling at the FO 2009?

What Reason Best Explains the Upset of the Century?

  • Nadal was injured

    Votes: 11 12.0%

  • Nadal was overconfident/not in the right place mentally

    Votes: 8 8.7%

  • Soderling's God mode

    Votes: 65 70.7%

  • Nadal's hot pink shirt

    Votes: 8 8.7%
  • Total voters
    92
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This is becoming one of the great mysteries in recent years.

How did a guy as dominant as Nadal, playing near his absolute peak, lose to a guy that he had destroyed 6-1, 6-0 just weeks before in Rome?

Most of us would agree that no single factor could explain an anomaly of this magnitude. A confluence of things had to come together, including a drop in Rafa's form (due to some injury that also kept him out of Wimbledon), Nadal's potential overconfidence going into the match, Nadal's mental state (recent divorce of parents), weather conditions (Nadal play's better in the bright sun and it was very overcast that day), and Soderling achieving God mode and achieving genuine self-belief after the first set.

But what was the single most plausible reason among these various factors?
 
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hi-res-88082539_crop_north.jpg

rafa_nadal_1413742c.jpg

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Nadalgaenger

Nadalgaenger

G.O.A.T.
soderling-point_390-1526flg.jpg

"I can call spirits from the vasty deep."
Kudos to anyone who knows that reference without Google! Hint: Shakespeare.

Seriously. Was sorcery involved in this?
 
Last edited:
ibbi

ibbi

G.O.A.T.
Beating Nadal on clay is not the hardest thing. The hardest thing is executing over a best of 5 set match. Soderling did that. Talking about things like state of mind and health are whatever, but the conditions will absolutely have helped, though that is neither the first nor last time that Rafa will have played a big hitter on an overcast day at Roland Garros. Soderling has the perfect tools with which to trouble Rafa, that day he had no pressure on him, and he performed a miracle.
 
Nadalgaenger

Nadalgaenger

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I voted Nadal's injury as the primary reason.

Soderling was in awesome form that tournament. I was worried that he might mow down Fed in the final (let's not forget that he did mow down Fed the year after!).

However, the 2010 final for me is powerful evidence that the primary reason was Nadal's drop in form. Nadal took care of Soderling in routine fashion the next year, despite the fact that Soderling's level in 2010 was as good as 2009.
 
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Roddick85 said:
A combination of all the above. As great as Nadal/Federer/Djokovic are/were, they aren't invincible and can have a bad day at the office like anyone else.
Click to expand...
I think most of us would agree that no single factor could explain this crazy incident. The question is which one was the most pivotal.
 
Wilhelm

Wilhelm

Hall of Fame
When players like Söderling, Wawrinka or similarly powerful guys hit out freely and don't miss, there is nothing you can do. We have seen it with Rosol, Cilic and a few others. I personally think it is marvellous when someone finds that magic zone...
 
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abmk

abmk

Bionic Poster
soderling hit him off court, nadal played a bit short.

To be noted that soderling converted 6 of his 7 BP chances

Only thing that was injured was nadal's pride after losing the match. He was perfectly healthy.
The injury thing is all cooked up BS from his camp and the ************* can swallow it, but not the others.

Here's the interview of nadal right after the match :

https://web.archive.org/web/2009062...erviews/2009-05-31/200905311243796048503.html

no mention whatsoever of any injury.

The excuses were crafted/planted by his camp later.
 
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Talker

Talker

Hall of Fame
Soderling in god mode.

But Rafa was also having problems picking up where Soderling was hitting.

Many times Soderling would wait for the ball to hang some then hit it, there was no easy way to tell where he was going.
 
Get A Grip

Get A Grip

Hall of Fame
MOst posters cite Soderling zoned/god mode and he had the right ingredients in his game when zoned to do damage. Main reason for sure.
There's another thing I didn't see mentioned but I once heard Rafa mention in an interview: his parents had just separated. Given how close that clan is, I can imagine that would have had a huge effect on Rafa.
 
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WhiskeyEE said:
Soderling's peak was just better than Nadal's peak and Nadal was lucky that he developed a severe health problem and had to retire.
Click to expand...
So Soderling's level in 2009 was the highest level of clay tennis ever?

So I guess Istomin's peak is higher than Djokovic at the AO and Stakhovsky's peak higher than Fed at Wimbledon as well.
 
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BeatlesFan said:
Nothing more to say. Soderling zoned for that match just like Cilic zoned at the USO, just as Del Po zoned in the '09 USO final.

It happens.
Click to expand...
I don't entirely disagree. Good example on Cilic. I'd maybe add Safin in the 2005 AO as well.

But Delpo was beatable in 2009. Fed just blew his opportunity to put him away in the 2nd set!
 
metsman

metsman

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Was Nadal at his best? no, was he physically 100%? Probably not. But at the end of the day Soderling played a balls to the wall incredible match. It's not like it's unheard of for post 2008 Nadal at RG to play a subpar match. 11 Isner took him 5, 09 Soderling would have beaten that Nadal. Nadal was on the ropes against Brands in 2013. Difference is that in 2009 Nadal ran into a guy who could actually seal the deal.

Also Soderling played a garbage match in the 2010 final so using that as proof that 2009 wasn't that special is wrong. 2010 final Nadal beats 09 Soderling but it's not 1 way.
 
D

Duncan Donuts

Professional
Get A Grip said:
MOst posters cite Soderling zoned/god mode and he had the right ingredients in his game when zoned to do damage. Main reason for sure.
There's another thing I didn't see mentioned but I once heard Rafa mention in an interview: his parents had just separated. Given how close that clan is, I can imagine that would have had a huge effect on Rafa.
Click to expand...

This. Didn't they split right before RG started? I think it was a mental burden that Nadal couldn't shake.
 
Nadalgaenger

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metsman said:
Was Nadal at his best? no, was he physically 100%? Probably not. But at the end of the day Soderling played a balls to the wall incredible match. It's not like it's unheard of for post 2008 Nadal at RG to play a subpar match. 11 Isner took him 5, 09 Soderling would have beaten that Nadal. Nadal was on the ropes against Brands in 2013. Difference is that in 2009 Nadal ran into a guy who could actually seal the deal.

Also Soderling played a garbage match in the 2010 final so using that as proof that 2009 wasn't that special is wrong. 2010 final Nadal beats 09 Soderling but it's not 1 way.
Click to expand...
Soderling made the final two straight years. I'd be interested in seeing a statistical comparison of his non-Nadal matches in the 2009 and 2010 FO to evaluate his levels. Any of our resident statisticians have that?
 
metsman

metsman

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Nadalgaenger said:
Soderling made the final two straight years. I'd be interested in seeing a statistical comparison of his non-Nadal matches in the 2009 and 2010 FO to evaluate his levels. Any of our resident statisticians have that?
Click to expand...
It wasn't a fluke, those were legitimately impressive runs. In addition to the upsets of Nadal and Federer he beat Ferrer in 2009, dismantled Davydenko in a display that was as good as the Nadal one. 2010 he similarly destroyed Cilic. Also in both years he played great matches in the semis to beat very in form big hitters Gonzo and Berdych. However in 2009 he played a lackluster first set and when he started to find the range Federer slammed the door on him. Also prime Fed is just a bad matchup, doesn't give him time. In 2010 he just played a bad match in the final and Nadal was out for revenge.
 
Raindogs

Raindogs

Hall of Fame
Sodsy was just absolutely balling on that particular day, getting massive plowthrough on his forehand in particular.
 
Tennisanity

Tennisanity

Legend
It's amazing how many excuses Nadalturds have made for him. When Federer had not lost a set leading up to the final in W2008, oh he was in absolute peak condition. But when Nadal had not lost a set leading up to the Soderling loss, and destroying all previous opponents, oh but it was only the 4th round, not the same thing. LOL.
 
Get A Grip

Get A Grip

Hall of Fame
Tennisanity said:
It's amazing how many excuses Nadalturds have made for him. When Federer had not lost a set leading up to the final in W2008, oh he was in absolute peak condition. But when Nadal had not lost a set leading up to the Soderling loss, and destroying all previous opponents, oh but it was only the 4th round, not the same thing. LOL.
Click to expand...
We know you're in great pain now. We feel your pain. We like it.
 
mightyrick

mightyrick

Legend
Nadalgaenger said:
So Soderling's level in 2009 was the highest level of clay tennis ever?

So I guess Istomin's peak is higher than Djokovic at the AO and Stakhovsky's peak higher than Fed at Wimbledon as well.
Click to expand...

It has nothing to do with "highest clay level ever". I'm not sure anyone can define what that means, anyways.

But in any tennis match, the person wins the match if they win more of the critical points. In that match, Söderling did, so he won. It was an amazing feat.

On clay, in best-of-five, Nadal has been the greatest at winning the critical points. But that day, Söderling won more of those, and that's pretty much all there is to it.
 
Fridge

Fridge

Professional
#1. Soderling hired Magnus Norman
#2. Madrid semi vs Novak IMO really destroyed the rest of his season
 
octobrina10

octobrina10

Talk Tennis Guru
Nadalgaenger said:
This is becoming one of the great mysteries in recent years.

How did a guy as dominant as Nadal, playing near his absolute peak, lose to a guy that he had destroyed 6-1, 6-0 just weeks before in Rome?

Most of us would agree that no single factor could explain an anomaly of this magnitude. A confluence of things had to come together, including a drop in Rafa's form (due to some injury that also kept him out of Wimbledon), Nadal's potential overconfidence going into the match, Nadal's mental state (recent divorce of parents), weather conditions (Nadal play's better in the bright sun and it was very overcast that day), and Soderling achieving God mode and achieving genuine self-belief after the first set.

But what was the single most plausible reason among these various factors?
Click to expand...

I wonder what's the real reason Sod has been Fedlovers' hero?
7c436d22534040aadb5b1ca3d76b085f349f966b.jpg
 
C

Charlie

Guest
The tennis God decided Roland Garros would be free of the topspin plague for a year. The price was enduring it for the next five years, but end results in 2009 and 2016, as well as the heavy 2015 beatdown were worth the wait.
 
ibbi

ibbi

G.O.A.T.
Nadalgaenger said:
So if it's all about Soderling, then why couldn't he do it again?

Click to expand...
Is this a serious post? They're two different matches played under two different circumstances on two different days in two different years. In 2009 Soderling had no pressure on him, in 2010 he not only had the pressure of trying to repeat what he did in 2009, but also trying to compete in a final at the second time of asking after wetting the bed so completely the previous year (Note how he was one of the few guys in recent times to follow up the gigantic upset with further victories) in 2010 Nadal will have been much better prepared for him knowing what happened here the year before, and doubly focused.

Obviously there are many factors to consider, but to say "why couldn't he do it again?" as if it's that simple is ludicrous. He played an amazing match one year, Nadal played an amazing one the next.
 
tennis_pro

tennis_pro

Bionic Poster
It was a combination of Soderling playing one of the matches of his life and Nadal being below his best (Nadal fans - don't tell me he sucked when he trashed his first 3 opponents).
 
malbaker86

malbaker86

Hall of Fame
Im sure he was dinged up a bit with his knee(s) but Soderling ABSOLUTELY won that match with HIS play that day.

I do think had Rafa been able to push that to a 5th he woulda won, but he wasn't meant to win that FO in 09. I'm sure he woulda gotten plucked before the finals
 
BeatlesFan

BeatlesFan

Bionic Poster
Roddick85 said:
As great as Nadal/Federer/Djokovic are/were, they aren't invincible and can have a bad day at the office like anyone else.
Click to expand...

But the point is, Nadal didn't have a bad day at the office, he was playing very, very well. Soderling just completely overwhelmed him with a near perfect performance.
 
WhiskeyEE

WhiskeyEE

G.O.A.T.
Nadalgaenger said:
So Soderling's level in 2009 was the highest level of clay tennis ever?

So I guess Istomin's peak is higher than Djokovic at the AO and Stakhovsky's peak higher than Fed at Wimbledon as well.
Click to expand...

2009 was during Nadal's clay peak. 2013 Federer was in his 30s and Novak is past his prime as well.
 
octobrina10

octobrina10

Talk Tennis Guru
BeatlesFan said:
But the point is, Nadal didn't have a bad day at the office, he was playing very, very well. Soderling just completely overwhelmed him with a near perfect performance.
Click to expand...

The next year, in 2010, Sod completely overhelmed Fed:
DBf1N5WXYAAzpFv.jpg
 
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Krish872007

Krish872007

Talk Tennis Guru
Combination of all 4 reasons provided of course, but what the match really reinforced was that no-one is completely unbeatable. I would think that most players know the kind of game you need to play to beat Nadal on Chatrier, but it's a game that is incredibly difficult to execute for such a long period of time. On that day, Soderling somehow managed to execute his power game to perfection and that helped him get over the line. Anything less and I think Nadal would have won that match.
 
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