Australian Open: At 39, Feliciano Lopez is not just showing up, he's winning

Feliciano Lopez doesn't remember much about his first Grand Slam match. It was 2001, the French Open, and he was 19 years old.

“I think I got killed in the first round by Carlos Moya, if I'm not wrong. He was my idol growing up," Lopez said. "For me, it was like a gift, to play Carlos at the French Open.”

Nearly 20 years later, Lopez is not only still competing at the Grand Slam events, but doing the unthinkable for someone his age (going on 40). He rallied from two sets down, on a hot, humid day, to beat No. 31 Lorenzo Sonego 5-7, 3-6, 6-3, 7-5, 6-4 at the Australian Open.

“He probably didn’t expect it, after two sets to love (up), you don’t expect the 39-year-old guy is going to come back," Lopez, admittedly exhausted, said after the match.

Perhaps even more astonishing, Lopez is playing at his 75th consecutive Grand Slam event, a record among men's singles players. He hasn't missed a major since the 2002 French Open.

To put this in perspective, Roger Federer managed 65 consecutive Grand Slams before he had to withdraw from the 2016 French Open with an injury. The closest male player with an active streak is Italy's Andreas Seppi at 62; among the women, it's Alize Cornet at 56.

Lopez has carved out a decent career for himself, with seven career titles (more than half coming on his beloved grass) and four quarterfinal appearances at the Slams (including three at Wimbledon).

But it's his longevity and consistency that sets him apart from the rest. Getting into the main draws of majors on a regular basis depends on maintaining a top-100 ranking, and Lopez has done this, too, for most of his career. (He's currently ranked No. 65.)

Lopez even managed to keep his streak alive here in Melbourne despite the hard decisions about travelling not long after his wife gave birth to their first child, Dario, a little over a month ago.

“I didn’t know if I was going to be able to come here,” he said after his first-round win. “I was until the last minute thinking about what should I do, if I come or if I finally stay home.”

The trip was arguably worth it — particularly after his improbable, come-from-behind win against Sonego. It may just be the most memorable five-set match of his career, he said.

“To win a match in a Slam for me now is very special. If I do it the way I did today, even more,” he said. “So, to be in the third round now, it’s something very special for me. That’s why I’m very happy today.”