Rafael Nadal overtakes Roger Federer to become the player with most match wins at a single Grand Slam
Rafael Nadal added another feather to his cap at the French Open on Monday. With his first-round victory over Jordan Thompson, Nadal notched up his 106th win at Roland Garros, the most for any male player in a single Grand Slam event. The Spaniard overtook his great rival Roger Federer, who has won 105 matches at Wimbledon.
Interestingly, Federer also occupies third spot on the list with 102 wins at the Australian Open. Jimmy Connors' tally of 98 wins at the US Open and Federer's tally of 89 wins in New York complete the top five.
Nadal will have the opportunity to further extend his record when he takes to the court for his second-round match. The former World No. 1 is also just one win shy of joining Novak Djokovic and Federer in the 300-wins club.
Another record ✅
106 wins (and counting) for @RafaelNadal at #RolandGarros - more than any other ATP player at any other Grand Slam! https://t.co/eoOWXCKQpE
Most match wins at Grand Slams:
106 - Nadal (Roland Garros)
105 - Federer (Wimbledon)
102 - Federer (Australian Open)
98 - Connors (US Open)
89 - Federer (US Open)
@RafaelNadal @rolandgarros https://t.co/pb93o8SL4Z
With his win over Thompson, the Spaniard improved to 18-0 in first-round matches at Roland Garros. He has lost just three matches since he first played the French Open back in 2005.
The 21-time Grand Slam champion will take a lot of heart from the fact that there were no signs of his foot injury during his match against Thompson.
A thing of beauty 🥹
#RolandGarros | @RafaelNadal https://t.co/7YFjEnIFFm
How did Rafael Nadal fare in his first-round match at the 2022 French Open?
The fifth seed took control of the match early on. He broke Thompson's serve in the third game of the first set and never looked under serious pressure from there on. The Spaniard's biggest weapon, his forehand, fired pretty fiercely throughout the match and broke down Thompson's backhand. Nadal smashed 27 winners in all, with 20 of those coming from his forehand.
The serve was one aspect that he struggled with in the build-up to the French Open. However, against Thompson, his serve looked quite consistent. Nadal landed 65% of his first serves, winning 73% of the points. He won an impressive 77% of the points on his second serve.
shot rally 🤯
3️⃣2️⃣ shot rally 🤯
#RolandGarros | @RafaelNadal https://t.co/5IaO7UCu8F
Nadal faces Frenchman Corentin Moutet in the second round. Moutet defeated 2015 champion Stan Wawrinka in four tough sets in his opener.
A third-round clash with familiar foe Fabio Fognini is also on the cards for Nadal.