Feliciano Lopez - 500 is far from over!
Actually, Feliciano Lopez should be busy with his duties as tournament director of Madrid. Instead, the almost 40-year-old prefers to continue making history on the pitch.
by Florian Heer
last edit: Jun 25, 2021, 02:06 pm
500 match wins on the professional tour. Not many players have succeeded in this feat. Strictly speaking, there are only nine still active cracks who were able to break this sound barrier in their careers: Roger Federer (1,247 wins), Rafael Nada l (1,027), Novak Djokovic (961), Andy Murray (678), Richard Gasquet ( 556), Fernando Verdasco (554), Marin Cilic (533), Stan Wawrinka (533) and Tommy Robredo (533). As of this week, the "Club of the 500" with Feliciano Lopez has its tenth and newest member. The 39-year-old Spaniard defeated Russian Karen Khachanov in three sets in the second round of the Mallorca Championships on Tuesday evening.
"Beyond the 500 victories, it is important to me to continue to have the chance to take part in tournaments like this and to remain competitive," continues Lopez ambitiously. "I will be 40 in September and I would not have expected that age to be able to play at this level on the ATP tour. "
Lopez on the hunt for a record
In general, "Feli" - as he is called by his numerous, often female, fans - is a man of records. Lopez is the player with the most consecutive appearances in the Grand Slam tournaments. Lopez has served an incredible 76 times in a row in the majors.
"It is important to me to be able to continue enjoying the Grand Slam tournaments," said the current number 90 in the world rankings, who achieved his highest ranking so far in March 2015 with position 12. Competing at the Australian Open, French Open, Wimbledon and the US Open is still one of the season highlights of the veteran, who has also changed sides in the meantime. For two years, Lopez has been accompanying the Madrid Open in the Caja Magica no longer as an active player, but as tournament director.
Beloved green
The avowed Real fan from Toledo has been a member of the professional circus since 1997. Lopez was able to win seven titles on the ATP tour during this period, four of them on grass. His win rate on this surface is around 65 percent. In 2013 and 2014 he was successful in Eastbourne, in 2017 and 2019 he won the legendary Queens Club in London.
"My first final in London against Marin Cilic was special because I had to fend off a match point," reflected Lopez on the Balearic Island this week. “I had seen the highlights several times. Winning the title two years later was also very emotional because I hadn't expected it. "
In Mallorca, at least this season, there will be no further trophies. On Thursday evening, the quarter-finals against French lawn specialist Adrian Mannarino were the final destination. Lopez stops at 500 wins. For now. As is well known, the start of the tournament in Wimbledon will follow next week. And Feli is of course there, meets Dan Evans at the beginning.
mallemap