Rafael Nadal received an emotional standing ovation as he stepped onto Court Philippe Chatrier one last time on Sunday, during a memorable tribute ceremony to honour his legendary career at the French Open.
At 38, the ‘King of Clay’ was celebrated in front of an adoring Roland Garros crowd, many of whom wore multicoloured shirts spelling out ’14 RG, Rafa’ across the stands. Nadal officially retired from professional tennis last November.
Since winning the tournament on his debut in 2005 as a teenager, Nadal has owned the French Open, capturing a record 14 titles and compiling an extraordinary 112-4 win-loss record on the Parisian clay. His last triumph came in 2022, and his final competitive appearance on the court was a first-round loss to Alexander Zverev the following year.
‘I don’t know how to start … I’ve been playing on this court for 20 years. I suffered, I won, I lost. I have lived many emotions here on this court,’ Nadal said, visibly moved after watching a tribute video chronicling his achievements at Roland Garros.
Joining Nadal in the player’s box were his family, close friends and former coaching team, including his uncle Toni.
‘It has been unforgettable, plenty of emotions for a guy like me that doesn’t love these kind of things because I’m still a little bit shy for all this stuff,’ Nadal later told reporters.
‘I don’t like a lot to be the centre of attention for these things. It was enough when I was playing tennis. But I enjoyed it, honestly. I suffered a little bit with the emotions, but I enjoyed a lot.’
In a surprise gesture, his greatest rivals – Novak Djokovic, who had just secured his 100th ATP title, Roger Federer, and Andy Murray – joined him on court following his speech. The stadium erupted in applause as the iconic figures of men’s tennis reunited to honour Nadal.
‘To have my three biggest rivals there on the court with me meant a lot,’ Nadal said of his fellow ‘Big Four’ members.
‘At the same time, it’s a great message for the world, I think, that best rivals, the toughest rivals probably in the history of our sport are able to be good colleagues, to respect each other.’
‘You don’t need to hate the opponent to try to beat him with all your force,’ he said. ‘And that’s the message that I think we showed people, we showed the new generations, and in some way that’s our legacy.’
Though Nadal bid farewell to the sport during the 2024 Davis Cup Finals in Malaga, the absence of a proper farewell at Roland Garros was felt by many. His 14-title milestone at a single Grand Slam stands unmatched, with only Margaret Court’s 11 Australian Open crowns coming close. ALSO READ: Emotional Rafa Nadal retires from professional tennis, leaving ‘sporting & personal legacy’.
During Sunday’s ceremony, Nadal was presented with a unique trophy marking his French Open legacy – his footprint permanently cast in the clay.
‘I didn’t know anything about the ceremony,’ he said. ‘Only thing that I knew before going there was that there was going to be a video when I go on, then my speech, and then a couple of surprises.’
Although Nadal received a farewell after his final Davis Cup match, French Tennis Federation president Gilles Moretton expressed earlier this year that ‘the tribute was not, in my opinion, what it should have been’.
Moretton, alongside tournament director Amelie Mauresmo, visited Nadal at home in December to plan the celebration that finally took place on Sunday.
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Merci, @rolandgarros! I will never forget this amazing day! 🥹 pic.twitter.com/cHerLKY7rP
— Rafa Nadal (@RafaelNadal) May 25, 2025
Kicked off the day with the grand opening of the Nadal exhibition, inaugurated by Rafa himself 🖼️#RolandGarros pic.twitter.com/eL14ABsZq5
— Roland-Garros (@rolandgarros) May 25, 2025
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