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It’s More Than Nostalgia for Roger Federer at the French Open

Pavel Golovkin/Associated Press

PARIS — It has been another year of big round numbers for Roger Federer. He won his 100th career singles title in Dubai in February. On Friday, on a luminous afternoon when springtime Paris felt like the place they used to write songs about, he became the first person in tennis history to play a 400th Grand Slam singles match.

Not that he had spent months longing for this moment.

“I didn’t even know, so that tells you something,” said Federer, sounding even less impressed when informed that it was his 400th major match played, not his 400th major match won.