Rafael Nadal has won his first match of Roland Garros 2022 in two hours and two minutes, 6-2, 6-2, 6-2.
The 13-time champion in Paris took on world number 82 Jordan Thompson.
And Nadal made short work of the Australian to reach the second round of Roland Garros for an 18th time in a row.
The Spaniard said in French to begin his on-court interview; “It’s incredible for me to play here on Philippe-Chatrier another time.”
He added in Spanish that he was happy to come through the first round in three straight sets.
“Stop!”
Catch the camera 😂#RolandGarros | @RafaelNadal pic.twitter.com/Y1hkWJZIRU
— Roland-Garros (@rolandgarros) May 23, 2022
This win takes Nadal to a win-loss record of 106-3 at Roland Garros across 18 appearances, never missing the Paris Slam since his 2005 debut.
The victory was also a 299th at a Major for Nadal, one off becoming just the third man ever with 300 or more Slam match wins.
That stat places him behind world number one Novak Djokovic, who has 323, and 20-time Slam winner Roger Federer with 369.
Looking forward, there was the possibility that Nadal would take on a fellow former Roland Garros champion in 2015 winner Stan Wawrinka.
However, that match will not come to pass as French wildcard Corentin Moutet defeated the Swiss from a set down on Court Suzanne-Lenglen 2-6, 6-3, 7-6 (7-2), 6-3.
It will be a first career meeting between Nadal and the world number 139.
In contrast to Nadal, Moutet’s best Roland Garros result came in 2019 when he reached the third round.
It would take something very special for the 23-year-old to overcome the ‘King of Clay’ and match that career-best run in the French capital.
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