KEY POINTS

  • Rafael Nadal won the opening round in straight sets
  • Nadal is yet to lose Roland Garros' opening round
  • It was also Nadal's 299th match win in Grand Slams

Rafael Nadal has surpassed arch-rival Roger Federer in yet another milestone in Grand Slams.

Competing at the Roland Garros, Nadal defeated Australian Jordan Thompson with a 6-2, 6-2, 6-2 win in the first round Monday. It was Nadal’s 106th win at the French Open – the most by a male player in a single Grand Slam event, according to Tennis TV. He edged out Federer in the record as the Swiss superstar has won 105 matches in Wimbledon.

The third-placed player on the list with the most match wins at a major event is once again Federer, with 102 wins at the Australian Open. The top five list is completed with Jimmy Connors' tally of 98 wins at the U.S. Open and Federer's tally of 89 wins at the same event.

Meanwhile, Nadal’s straight-set victory over Thompson recorded the Spaniard’s 18th win in the opening round of the French Open, improving his record to 18 wins and 0 losses in French Open’s first round, according to Tennis.com. Overall, Nadal has suffered just three defeats in the tournament since he first played the French Open back in 2005.

Nadal, who took just a little over two hours to seal his win on Court Philippe-Chatrier on Monday, also registered his 299th match win in the Grand Slam. One more victory in the ongoing tournament in Paris would make him only the third player, after Federer (369) and Novak Djokovic (324), with 300 or more wins to their name across the four major events.

Injury worry: Rafael Nadal, the 13-time champion
Injury worry: Rafael Nadal, the 13-time champion AFP / Christophe ARCHAMBAULT

"It is a good start, of course. I played good for a while, then [there were] things that I could do better and I need to do better. But it is a positive start, and that's given me a chance to have one more day of practice tomorrow and then another chance after tomorrow," Nadal told ATP after beating Thompson.

Nadal has already won three titles this year, including the Australian Open that took his Grand Slam tally to 21, one more than Djokovic and Federer.

13-time champion Nadal is set to take on World No. 139 Corentin Moutet in the second round at Roland Garros 2022 on Wednesday.

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