Rafael Nadal, earlier this year, faced some suspicion regarding his future in tennis because of his persistent foot issue. After winning his 14th French Open title, he admitted that his future in tennis depends on the state of his injury and wouldn’t play in pain again.

However, it looks like the medical procedure he underwent after the clay-court season has worked its magic. As Nadal, along with showing prowess in the very first round of Wimbledon, has unlocked a record.

Martina Navratilova about sharing a record with Nadal

The 22-time Grand Slam champion, by winning his first round match at Centre Court on Tuesday, placed himself alongside Navratilova on the list for most Grand Slam victories. To which the 18-time Grand Slam champion responded by writing, “Congrats Rafa:), And you are not done yet!!!:)”

He and the 9-time Wimbledon champion hold the record of 306 match wins in major events. Further, they share the fourth spot on the list behind Roger Federer (369), Serena Williams (365) and Novak Djokovic (368).

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The Spaniard got the better of the 23-year-old Argentine tennis ace Francisco Cerundolo in four sets of 6-4, 6-3, 3-6, 6-4 in the first round. Now the second seed in the tournament will meet the first and only Lithuanian ATP top 50 player Ricardas Berankis in the second round. They will lock horns on Thursday, 30th June.

What can Rafael Nadal aim for?

If Nadal gets his hands on the Gentleman’s singles trophy, apart from being his 23rd Grand Slam title, it will also be his third consecutive Grand Slam of this year. Which means if the 14-time French Open champion is successful at the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club, he will get one step closer to achieving the elusive Calender Grand Slam.

Further,?Novak Djokovic’s stance on vaccination has significantly reduced his chances of playing in the US Open. Consequently, Nadal’s chances of securing his fifth US Open title have increased. However, with the US Open deciding to let Russian and Belarusian players participate, the defending champion Daniil Medvedev might be an obstacle to the Spaniard.

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Coming back to Wimbledon, the 36-year-old has only claimed the title twice in his career, with his last title coming in 2010. Therefore, he will look to shush the talks of him not being a good player on the grass.