If ever a tennis match other than a Wimbledon final deserved a banner headline, in raging capital letters, this was it.

The words are simple but substantial, and they carry the weight of 41 years of Open era men’s tennis: Robin Soderling defeated Rafael Nadal in the fourth round of the 2009 French Open on Sunday. The result, freshly entered into the record books, can already be legitimately viewed as the greatest single upset in the history of the sport since it became open to professionals in 1968.

Soderling, playing what is likely to become the best match he will ever produce in any time or season, knocked off the reigning four-time French Open champion in four sets of vicious hitting. The 23rd seed from Sweden topped Nadal, 6-2, 6-7 (2), 6-4, 7-6 (2), in 3 hours and 30 minutes at Court Philippe Chatrier. The force of this thunderbolt far exceeded the impact of the previous day’s ouster of fourth-seeded Novak Djokovic, plunging the men’s tournament into chaos while creating a buzz in the tennis world that won’t soon fade away. Rare is the occasion when one match can reverberate through the pages of time, reshaping the way so many men, past and present, are viewed in a larger context.

First, it’s worth noting how Soderling–a man with a big game but precious little poise–actually managed to dethrone El Rey de Clay at Chatrier. Soderling has always possessed a powerful assemblage of strokes, but the Swede’s lack of mental fortitude has consistently abandoned him on the ATP Tour, particularly in Grand Slam events. When the No. 23 seed took the court for this seemingly pedestrian encounter, he found himself in the fourth round of a slam for the first time in 22 career singles appearances. Anyone who has seen Soderling bludgeon the ball over the past few years–particularly in 2007, when the Swede pushed Nadal to five sets in the third round of Wimbledon before falling in a dramatic and acrimonious rain-delayed match–knows the depth of potential that resides in the 24-year-old’s body. Soderling’s career–like the ranks of other players mentioned in this space over the past few days–has been a study in underachievement, due to the inability to handle the pressure all great tennis pros must face.

On a seminal Sunday in the history of his sport, Soderling chased those demons away with a mighty effort that was equally convincing and composed.

The swingin’ Swede took massive cuts at the ball whenever he had the chance, and with Nadal not getting quite as much depth on his own groundstrokes, Soderling was able to blast away from both wings and put the masterful Mallorcan on the defensive. Soderling might have accumulated 59 unforced errors on the afternoon, but with 61 winners against an all-time claycourt legend, the heavy underdog managed to succeed with a high-risk, low-margin game that simply has to be employed against a performer of Nadal’s stature.

Rafa’s defensive prowess is unmatched in men’s tennis, particularly on the crushed red brick of France; therefore, beating Nadal in a best-of-five set match on clay–something viewed to be unthinkable heading into this match–can only be achieved by producing a first-rate shotmaking exhibition, and never letting up. Nadal will never be beaten in a test of stamina, endurance, and prolonged rallies, but the Spaniard becomes somewhat vulnerable against an opponent who can hit through the court with regularity. The true test, though, is to be able to continue to hit lines and corners long enough to win three whole sets. Some players–such as Roger Federer–have been good enough to win one set off Nadal at Roland Garros, but no one had ever taken two sets off Rafa, let alone three, in Paris. Soderling did the deed in every stretch of this match except a limp second-set tiebreak. As a result of his unfading excellence, the Swede–who roared through a deciding fourth-set tiebreak without any evident sign of nerves–will now play in his first-ever Grand Slam quarterfinal.

Soderling’s path to victory has been duly documented. That, however, is just half the story of this unforgettable scene painted in Paris by the countryman of Bjorn Borg.

It is fitting, in a sense, that a Swede would pull off an upset of such epic proportions. Nadal entered this tournament tied with Borg for the most consecutive men’s singles titles won in Paris (four). Now, thanks to Soderling’s sensational showcase, it is unlikely that Nadal will be able to win five straight French Opens over the course of his career. To put this in perspective, Nadal could win the 2010, 2011 and 2012 editions of this tournament, but in his late-twentysomething years, the accumulated wear and tear on his body would probably allow a fellow competitor to get him in 2013 or ’14. Borg’s five straight Wimbledon titles were matched, but not exceeded, by Roger Federer. The man who preserved Borg’s tie in the history books was none other than Nadal. Now, a Borg tie with Nadal has been sustained, and a Swede was responsible for that particular alteration of history.

If that all sounds like a lot of significance to digest after one tennis match, it is… but there’s still more to chew on while the enormity of this moment sinks in.

Nadal had won all 48 best-of-five-set matches he had played on clay in his career. This marks his first best-of-five loss in 49 tries on red dirt.

Nadal had begun his professional career in 2002, but due to injuries, the Mallorcan never played at Roland Garros until 2005, when he won the event in his first try. This loss to Soderling therefore stands as Rafa’s first-ever loss at Roland Garros, a fact that’s nothing short of breathtaking.

Nadal had established a French Open record–men or women–with 31 straight wins, eclipsing Chris Evert’s 29. Rafa didn’t find a way to push that number to 32.

Nadal had reached five straight Grand Slam semifinals. That run is done, but its cessation only magnifies the greatness of Federer’s still-active streak of 19 consecutive slam semis.

Speaking of Federer, he and the rest of the men’s field now have a chance to win a first-ever French Open. With pre-Nadal titlists Gaston Gaudio (2004), Juan Carlos Ferrero (2003), and Carlos Moya (1998) out of the men’s draw, and other recent champions Andre Agassi (1999) and Gustavo Kuerten (1997, 2000-01) in retirement, someone will lift the Coupe de Mousquetaires for the first time.

The king of clay, Rafa Nadal, is dead. Long live the king… whoever it may be when this crazy men’s singles tournament ultimately concludes.

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