Rafael Nadal surpasses Ivan Lendl as player with fourth-highest wins on ATP Tour; inches closer to Novak Djokovic after Brisbane International 1R win

With his victory over Dominic Thiem in straight sets at the Brisbane International, Rafael Nadal achieved a new milestone. The Spaniard registered his 1069th ATP singles match win, moving past Ivan Lendl for the outright fourth-most wins in the Open Era.

Jimmy Connors leads the list with 1274 wins on the tour, and he is followed by Roger Federer who has 1251 victories to his credit. World No. 1 Novak Djokovic, who has won a record 24 Grand Slams, is third on the list with 1089 wins.

When asked about the milestone in the on-court interview after his win over Thiem, Nadal said he was not aware of the record.

"Rafa, I'm not sure if you're aware but it was your 1069th win tonight, which takes you into outright fourth past Ivan Lendl for most wins in ATP history," the interviewer said.

To this, Nadal replied, "Well, as you can imagine it was not a statistic that I was aware of."

The Spaniard has an impressive record on tour, having won 22 Grand Slams, which is just behind Djokovic. Nadal has also won the rare 'Career Golden Slam' that involves winning all the four Grand Slams as well as the gold medal in the singles event at the Olympics.

Andre Agassi is the only other player on the men's circuit to complete that feat. Serena Williams and Steffi Graf are the only players in women's tennis to achieve the rare distinction.

“Today is honestly an emotional and important day for me after probably one of the toughest years of my tennis career without a doubt," Nadal said after his 7-5, 6-1 win over Thiem.

Rafael Nadal will face Jason Kubler next at Brisbane International

Rafael Nadal will face local hero Jason Kubler next at the Brisbane International for a place in the quarter-finals. Kubler beat Russia's Aslan Karatsev, who retired with injury in the second set.

The Spaniard reacts after winning a point against Dominic Thiem at Brisbane International 2024

Kubler is no stranger to Grand Slam glory; he won the Australian Open doubles event in 2023. He also reached the fourth round of Wimbledon in singles in 2022.

Kubler and fellow Australian Rinky Hijikata defeated Hugo Nys and Jan Zielinski to win their maiden Grand Slam title in Melbourne last year. They became the fifth unseeded team to win an Australian Open men's doubles title in the Open Era. They were also just the second pair to win a Grand Slam as wildcards.

Nadal and Kubler will be facing off against each other for the first time in their careers at the Brisbane International.