“I would never ever in a million years dreamt this even better than what it is tonight,” NBA great and LA Lakers’ LeBron James said in 2023 after breaking a 40-year-old league record. Two years ago, he went past basketball legend and former Lakers and Milwaukee Bucks center Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. The latter had amassed 38,387 career points while playing the 1984 season. While it looked like this feat was untouchable, James finally reached it, conquered it, and broke it in February 2023.

And guess what? He’s now closing in on the 50,000 mark, too! Seems like no one can touch this Mt. Everest for a long-long duration. But wait, it seems there’s another impeccable sports record, which is so rare that it feels like a ‘Mission Impossible’ for any athlete to even look at. Yes, we are talking about tennis GOAT Rafael Nadal’s mind-boggling French Open milestone.

So, whose record can get broken first? Nadal or James? Two sports icons in their own right – simply majestic. James’ current tally of total NBA career points stands at over 42,000. To be precise, it’s 42,184 according to the NBA’s All-Time Leaders list as of this writing. On the other hand, Nadal’s 14 French Open title triumphs are something to marvel at.

From the time he first stepped on the Parisian clay back in 2005, Rafa kept on dominating this particular major event in his two-decade-old career. While he may have retired now, after appearing in his last match back in November 2024 during the Davis Cup, the astonishing record of 14 victories in a single slam is something he can be proud of for his entire life.

The weight of Nadal’s French Open reign can be felt from the fact that the second-best ATP player to win most trophies in Paris is France’s Max Decugis. The former pro won the championship eight times before the Open Era. Despite that, it’s six less than the Spaniard. In an intriguing stats-based discussion, American star Frances Tiafoe rated Nadal slightly higher than LeBron James in their respective records.

Yes, both seem hard to get for active players (or those in the future), but which one looks like it could be broken soon? Well, according to Tiafoe, unfortunately, it might be the LA Lakers’ forward’s milestone. During his interaction with former American pro John Isner, he said, “If you play the French 14 times, you had an incredible career. So to win it 14 times is like, I don’t know how, like, what record is harder than that?”

But then Isner reminded him, saying, “LeBron’s got the points record?” To which, Tiafoe agreed, “The points record is pretty tough.” However, the two ended up changing their minds when Isner predicted, “But, like, it potentially could happen. I could see that happening before…” Tiafoe agreed, “Before that (Nadal’s French Open record). The points record would probably be the closest, closest second because that’s a lot of durability. And buckets every night.”

Isner added, “A lot of durability here to have 14 of these (Roland Garros trophies).” Tiafoe concluded, saying, “A lot of durability here. Let’s put those like 1a and 1b”

Among modern-day active ATP players, no one seems perfect enough to reach Nadal’s unprecedented Roland Garros feat. Even the likes of Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner have no chance. At least for the next decade or so!

Will Rafael Nadal’s French Open milestone be broken soon?

If you look at the two best ATP pros right now, they are surely Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner. Both are currently competing at the Roland Garros in Paris. 24-time slam king Novak Djokovic is also there, looking to add a 25th major title to his illustrious career. But what about his French Open stats? Well, he’s got three trophies on the Parisian clay. And it’s highly unlikely he can even get to five, let alone reach Rafael Nadal‘s magical number of 14. The Serbian is close to his retirement soon. Before that, he will probably clinch one more major, and maybe that’ll be it.

Now, coming back to Alcaraz and Sinner, they are quite young in their respective careers as of now. The 22-year-old Spaniard has one French Open trophy at the moment. He snatched it last season after besting Germany’s Alexander Zverev. In the ongoing edition, he’s trying to defend his title, eying the second in Paris.

On the other hand, 23-year-old Sinner’s got three slams (two Australian Open and one US Open title). But he’s yet to add a French Open trophy to his cabinet. Both players, provided they don’t miss any season because of injury, will need to play fourteen or fifteen straight seasons at the French Open if they want to chase Nadal’s milestone. Again, playing consecutive seasons doesn’t guarantee title wins. Because either of them can end up losing in a certain round several times. Thus extending the longevity of Nadal’s feat even further.

In short, it will perhaps take Alcaraz or Sinner more than a decade (or even longer) to even come close to the King of Clay. Do you think the former ATP legend’s Roland Garros milestone will remain unbreakable? Let us know in the comments below.