‘Unbelievable Achievement’ Rafael Nadal reacts to his history-making 1000th career win

‘Unbelievable Achievement’ Rafael Nadal reacts to his history-making 1000th career win
Rafael Nadal

On another fine day in Paris, comes the greatest of victories. Rafael Nadal created history with his win over compatriot Feliciano Lopez in the hard courts of Paris Masters 2020. This Round of 32 match wasn’t just Rafa’s first step towards the esteemed Masters’ title, but it also proved to be the one-thousandth win of his glorious career. 

The top seed’s comeback victory over Lopez marked the second time he has reached a notable milestone in Paris. Nadal earned his 900th tour-level victory with a third-round win against Richard Gasquet at Roland Garros in 2018.

Furthermore, the 20-time Grand Slam champion became the 4th man in the Open Era to record 1000 match wins on the ATP tour. Nadal reflected on this infallible feat in his post-match interview. 

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Rafa’s reaction to his infallible feat

Rafael Nadal

During the post-match interview, Nadal contemplated on the historic achievement of clocking a thousand wins on the ATP tour level. Firstly, the champ humorously stated these wins were indicative of the fact that he’s “very old.” 

However, the Spaniard then admitted that this feat was “special” and a testament to having done things right. “Super happy to arrive to that number. Means I did a lot of things well for a long time,” he said.

Rafa’s adversary in the match, Lopez, did not make this an easy win for Nadal. He broke Rafa early on in the first set to garner a 2-0 lead. Eventually, Lopez claimed the first set 6-4. Nevertheless, the No.1 seed won the tie-breaker in the second set. Ultimately, he found another gear to take his level to and prevail in the third set. 

Nadal acknowledged this high-pressure match against Feliciano. He remarked, “Have been a very tough match. I started the worst way possible. It’s difficult because then you under a lot of pressure. I am happy to finally find a way to win.” 

The French Open 2020 champion heads on to face Jordan Thompson. The Spaniard will aim to further extend his 1000 wins in the third round of Paris Bercy.

Also Read: “Roger Federer won’t be loved as much as Rafael Nadal” Top Coach dishes out behind-the-scenes experiences to back up ‘unpopular opinion’