Andy Murray records 1000th ATP tour-level match
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Former world No.1 Andy Murray has made history after becoming the first British tennis player in the Open Era to have played 1000 ATP tour-level matches.
Murray played his 1000th match at the cinch Championships, where he is a five-time winner, against Australian world No.48 Alexei Popyrin, with the Brit prevailing in three-sets, 6-3, 3-6, 6-3.
In achieving this feat, Murray joins an elite club of tennis legends, ranking sixth only behind Richard Gasquet (1,004), Fernando Verdasco (1,006), David Ferrer (1,111), Rafael Nadal (1,300), Novak Djokovic (1,324) and Roger Federer (1,526).
Murray's first ATP tour-level match came at the Barcelona Open on the 18 April 2005, where the then 17-year-old was awarded a wild card entry. During this match, he played the Czech Republic’s Jan Hernych with Murray losing out in a close three set battle 3-6, 6-4, 6-4.
Of the 1000 tour-level matches he’s played – the three-time Grand Slam champion has racked up an impressive win record, securing 738 victories to 261 losses across his career - placing him 14th on the all-time list for most ATP matches won. Murray ranks just behind Pete Sampras, Stan Smith and Arthur Ashe.
Murray played 68% of those of those matches on a hard court and has clinched a remarkable 503 wins on the surface to date, including his iconic 2012 US Open victory which saw him put an end to Great Britain's 76-year wait for a male Grand Slam singles champion.
The 37-year-old also had great success on the grass and played a respectable 147 matches on the surface. Amongst his 118 wins on a grass court, came two of the most significant of victories of his career at The Championships, Wimbledon where he was crowned a two-time champion (2013, 2016).
Despite the former world No.1 nearing the end of his career, Murray continues to etch his name into the history books and will long be remembered as one of the greatest British athletes of all time.
