You have to be very old to win 1,000 games – Nadal proud of his longevity

 You have to be very old to win 1,000 games – Nadal proud of his longevity

Rafael Nadal joked that the only negative of bringing up his 1,000th career win was that it means he is now "very old".

Nadal landed the landmark singles win of his career as he came from a set down to defeat Feliciano Lopez 4-6 7-6 (7-5) 6-4 at the Paris Masters.

Wednesday's clash was the first time Nadal has played since he claimed his 13th French Open title last month.

The 34-year-old now sits fourth on the list of players with the most wins in the Open Era, behind Jimmy Connors, Roger Federer and Ivan Lendl.

Though proud of his long career, Nadal did point out one negative to reaching the milestone.

"Of course [I am proud] but there is one negative thing and that is that you are very old to get to 1000, you are very old," Nadal told reporters.

"Because to win 1000 matches you have to have a long career, but I am super happy. To arrive at that number means I did a lot of things well over a long time.

"Thanks to everybody – the ATP, to the French Federation, to everybody, my uncle, it's not the same without the crowd.

"I am proud of a lot of things honestly, but I faced some challenges in my career, ball injuries and I always have the passion to keep going and the dedication and humility to accept the challenges when things don't go the way you expect.

"Of course it's a big achievement to be playing at the age of 34 and at the same time still being competitive is still something very important for me and makes me feel proud and happy and proud about all the things that, not just me, the whole team have achieved."

Nadal, who has never won the Paris Masters, was imperious at Roland Garros, but looked far less assured at the Bercy Arena.

Lopez made a strong start, with a break of serve in the opening game resulting in him taking the first set, but Nadal hit back by edging a tie-break and then breaking his compatriot – who he has a 14-10 winning record against – at the start of the decider.

"It was very tough match, I started in the worst way possible with the break against him," Nadal added.

"It's difficult as you are under pressure the whole match. I am very happy to finally find a way to win because you don't want to be in a tie-break for the whole match against a big server like Feliciano and a very good player from the baseline, especially on this surface."

Lue can drive Clippers to 'new heights' as head coach

The Los Angeles Clippers believe they have appointed "one of the great minds" in the NBA after Tyronn Lue was confirmed as the team's new head coach.

Lue served as an assistant for the Clippers in the previous season but steps up to the top job following the departure of Doc Rivers.

The former first-round pick was previously head coach of the Cleveland Cavaliers, compiling a 128-83 record during his time in charge and leading the franchise to their first NBA title in 2016.

Now he takes charge of a team who fell short of expectations in 2019-20, letting slip a 3-1 lead inside the Florida bubble to be knocked out by the Denver Nuggets in the Western Conference semi-finals.

Rivers parted ways after failing to get the most out of a roster that included Kawhi Leonard and Paul George, though he has since been appointed head coach of the Philadelphia 76ers.

As for the Clippers, president of basketball operations Lawrence Frank is confident Lue's personality and previous experiences can lift the team to "new heights".

"Ty has been where we want to go. He is a championship head coach with an extraordinary feel for the game and the people who play it," Frank said.

"He's one of the great minds in our league, and he's able to impart his vision to others, because he connects with everybody he meets. We conducted a thorough search and spoke with fantastic candidates. We found that the best choice for our team was already in our building.

"As head coach, Ty will put a unique imprint on the organisation, and drive us to new heights."

Lue, who steered the Cavs to the NBA Finals for three straight years, will hope to steal the Los Angeles spotlight away from the newly crowned Lakers, but believes all the components for success are in place.

"The pieces we need are in place – committed ownership, smart management and elite talent, on and off the court, in the NBA's best market," Lue said.

"We have work to do to become champions, but we have the motivation, the tools, and the support to get there. I'm excited to get started."

Lue becomes the Clippers' 26th head coach. Terms of his deal were not released, as per team policy.