Player Profile

The undoubted shock of the tennis world in 2009 came at Roland Garros when Robin Soderling sent the four-time champion crashing out of the tournament in the fourth round.

The 23-year-old Spaniard had never lost a match in the Paris major before tumbling in four sets to the big-hitting Swede and it proved that it was not just the opponent which got the better of him - his fitness failed him also.

Nadal's troublesome knee tendinitis claimed three months of his season that saw the six-time slam winner unable to defend his maiden Wimbledon title and subsequently lose his number one status.

A return to the tour saw a weary Majorcan return in place of the player who claimed Olympic gold as well as the Australian Open title, and many thought the man from Manacor's best days were behind him after a trophy-less spell of 11 months.

But the left-hander, whose ability to retrieve balls is second to none, answered his critics in spectacular fashion by winning Monte Carlo, Rome and Madrid to become the first player to win all three Masters 1000 claycourt events in a calendar season.

After beating Federer in the Madrid final to become the all-time leading Masters trophy winner with 18 - extending his match winning streak on the red soil to 15 this year in the process - it seems injury alone will deny Nadal a fifth French Open title this year.

Ten-year Grand Slam History