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‘Great achievement’: Nadal achieves 1,000th career victory
(Agence France-Presse) – November 5, 2020 – 11:03 am
PARIS – Rafael Nadal said he was proud of a “great achievement” after claiming the 1000th Tour victory of his illustrious career on Wednesday (Thursday Manila time), becoming the fourth man to reach that mark with a comeback. about Feliciano. López in the second round of the Paris Masters.
The 20-time Grand Slam champion, back in the French capital less than a month after winning his thirteenth Roland Garros title, edged his Spanish compatriot 4-6, 7-6 (7/5), 6-4.
“I am proud of many things, but I faced some challenges in my career in terms of bodily injury,” Nadal said.
“But I always had the passion to move on and the humility to move on when things go unexpectedly.
“It is a great achievement for me.”
Nadal, whose first ATP Tour win came in April 2002 when he was just 15 years old, is fourth on the all-time list, with Jimmy Connors leading the way with 1,274 wins, 32 more than second-ranked Roger Federer.
“One negative thing about reaching 1,000 is that you are very old, as it means that you have to have had a very long career,” Nadal added.
“But I am very happy.”
Ivan Lendl also broke the 1,000-win barrier.
Nadal received a special presentation to celebrate his achievement after the match at a nearly empty Bercy Arena, and the event was played behind closed doors after France entered its second coronavirus lockdown last week.
The 34-year-old Nadal, seeking his first Paris Masters title, will face Jordan Thompson in the third round after the Australian defeated Croatian Borna Coric 2-6, 6-4, 6-2.
With the trophy in Paris this week, Nadal would equal Novak Djokovic’s record of 36 Masters titles.
He struggled to find his rhythm for much of the match, as the 39-year-old Lopez served excellently, saving the first six break points he faced, but Nadal stepped it up in the second-set tie-break.
The seeded player took the crucial break in the first game of the decider and then clinched the victory after saving two break points in the next game.
“It was a very tough game,” Nadal said. “I started in the worst possible way with a break. Against him, that’s difficult because you are under pressure throughout the game.”
The world number two is playing the tournament for the eighth time in his career, but withdrew in the middle of his last two appearances due to injury.
His best streak at Bercy was when he lost in the 2007 final to Argentine David Nalbandian.
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