Rafael Nadal now has more match wins than another tennis great, courtesy of his victory at the 2024 Brisbane International.
Nadal made his return to ATP singles action after close to 12 months away from the sport against Dominic Thiem, who he played in the final of the French Open in both 2017 and 2018.
It was a very successful comeback to the singles court for Nadal. He defeated the 2020 US Open champion 7-5 6-1, playing absolutely superbly in the second set in particular, where he completely dominated Thiem.
The victory made it 1,069 ATP singles match wins for Nadal throughout his career. That may seem somewhat insignificant at first for a man who has racked up the incredible number of wins that the 22-time Grand Slam champion has.
However, the triumph in Brisbane means Nadal now has the outright fourth most ATP match wins in the history of the open era. And he has overtaken another legendary figure in the sport as a result.
Nadal has moved ahead of Ivan Lendl on that list. The eight-time Grand Slam champion racked up 1,068 victories during his stellar career, which included reaching a Grand Slam final every year from 1981 to 1991.
It is going to be difficult for someone even as great as Nadal to move up the list any further. Novak Djokovic is in third with 1,089 wins, and the 24-time Grand Slam champion is showing no signs of slowing up anytime soon.
Nadal's other great rival, Roger Federer, is in second place. The Swiss maestro managed 1,251 ATP wins during his iconic career.
The top spot belongs to Jimmy Connors. The American won eight Grand Slams, and kept playing singles until the incredible age of 40. That allowed him to notch 1,274 ATP triumphs over the course of his career.
Nevertheless, Nadal, who recently responded to comments made by Novak Djokovic, has done amazingly to reach so many match wins, especially after the injuries he has had during his career.
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