Tennis Canada – Canadian tennis legend becomes first doubles player to hit milestone mark on ATP World Tour
 
Toronto, January 11, 2016 – Canadian tennis star Daniel Nestor (Toronto) recorded his 1,000^th doubles match victory on Monday at the Apia International Sydney in Australia, becoming the first doubles player in ATP World Tour history to hit the milestone mark and just the fourth overall. 
 
Partnering with world No. 1 Marcelo Melo in his second tournament of the 2016 season, Nestor defeated Jeremy Chardy and Leander Paes 6-4, 6-4 to capture the record win and reach the quarter-finals of the event. Nestor’s very first Tour doubles win came with fellow Canadian Sebastien Lareau in January 1993 in Auckland, New Zealand. The only three singles players to ever achieve 1,000 or more match wins on Tour are Jimmy Connors, Ivan Lendl and Roger Federer.
 
“It’s really special making it to 1,000 especially having my family here with me,” Nestor said following the milestone win. “They made the long trip to Australia kind of for this reason. A special moment like this, it’s really important to share it with others, the people that have been with me through thick and thin and through most of the victories.”

His 1,000 victories were attained alongside 33 different partners over 24 years, and is added to a long list of achievements that Nestor has accomplished in his illustrious career. Nestor has also claimed 88 titles, including eight men’s Grand Slam doubles trophies and four mixed doubles major championships. Combined with his Olympic gold medal, Nestor is one of 12 players, in singles or doubles, to have won a career Golden Slam (all four majors plus Olympic gold). He is fifth all-time for weeks at No. 1 with 108 and remains the oldest player to have held the top spot on the ATP World Tour rankings.

“The gold medal for sure was probably the initial highlight, winning here in Sydney in 2000 against [Todd Woodbridge and Mark Woodforde] and their hometown crowd,” Nestor said of his most memorable victories of the 1,000. “It was a very tough match and we were able to pull through and that was my first major title. My first Grand Slam also here in Australia. That was a little getting the monkey off my back because I’d lost a few finals, so that was important. And for sure the Wimbledon title. Wimbledon is the most prestigious tournament we have, and being able to win it with all the tradition, that’s always been a dream of mine. I’m fortunate to have those moments.”

In addition to his excellence on the professional Tour, Nestor has always answered the call for his country, playing for Canada at every opportunity. He is one of just five tennis players to participate in five straight Olympic Games (Atlanta, Sydney, Athens, Beijing, and London) and holds nearly every record in Canadian Davis Cup play including most ties, most wins, most doubles wins and most years played.

About Tennis Canada
Founded in 1890, Tennis Canada is a non-profit, national sport association with a mission to lead the growth of tennis in Canada and a vision to become a world-leading tennis nation. We value teamwork, passion, integrity, innovation and excellence. Tennis Canada owns and operates the premier Rogers Cup presented by National Bank WTA and ATP World Tour events, eight professional ITF-sanctioned events and financially supports 15 other professional tournaments in Canada. Tennis Canada operates national junior training centres/programs in Toronto, Montreal and Vancouver. Tennis Canada is a proud member of the International Tennis Federation, the Canadian Olympic Committee, the Canadian Paralympic Committee and the International Wheelchair Tennis Association, and serves to administer, sponsor and select the teams for Davis Cup, Fed Cup, the Olympic and Paralympic Games and all wheelchair, junior and senior national teams. Tennis Canada invests its surplus into tennis development. For more information on Tennis Canada, please visit our website at www.tenniscanada.com and follow us on Facebook and Twitter.

Media Contacts (Toronto):
Sarah Grossman, National Manager, Communications and Media Relations, Professional Tennis    
                sgrossman@tenniscanada.com, 416-650-7922
Nicole Watts, Manager, Communications
                nwatts@tenniscanada.com, 416-665-9777 x4092
 
Media Contacts (Montreal):
Valerie Tetreault, Regional Manager, Communications and Media Relations      
                vtetreault@tenniscanada.com, 514-273-1515 x259