Rafael Nadal reaches milestone with French Open win

Legendary tennis star Rafael Nadal won his 200th career Grand Slam match with his second round victory Thursday at the French Open.

In his career as one of the best to ever step foot on a tennis court, Rafael Nadal has had quite the success at the French Open. Thursday, the nine-time winner of the event made history with a simple second-round victory over the 99th-ranked player in the world.

Nadal made quick work of Argentina’s Facundo Bagnis, winning 14 of 15 games after falling behind 0-2 in the first set to win 6-3, 6-0, 6-3. The victory was Rafael Nadal’s 200th win in a Grand Slam event, making him the eighth player in the history of men’s tennis to accomplish that feat.

Nadal, who is the fourth seed at Roland Garros, has won 200 of the 230 matches he has played in the four tournaments that make up the Grand Slam events (French Open, Wimbledon, US Open and Australian Open).

The all-time record holder for wins at Grand Slam events is Roger Federer, who has 302 wins in his career. Federer is sitting out this year’s French Open with an injury.

Nadal holds the all-time record for most French Open titles. He has 14 career Grand Slam titles, tying him with former tennis star Pete Sampras and trailing Federer for the most ever with 17 titles.

Last year, Rafael Nadal saw his 39-match win streak at the French Open come to an end when he lost in the quarterfinals to Novak Djokovic. The top-ranked player in the world is still seeking his first victory in the tournament, which is the only Grand Slam he hasn’t won (losing in the finals last  year to Stan Wawrinka).

For more French Open news, check out our French Open hub page.