Roland Garros Celebrates Rafael Nadal's Legacy

"Deux mille cing, deux mille six, deux mille sept, ..., deux mille vingt-deux. From Spain, Rafael Nadal!"

Accompanied by applause and cheers from the audience as the host, Marc Maury, mentioned the years Nadal won the French Open Grand Slam while the Spanish tennis player entered the clay court of Philippe Chatrier, Roland Garros, Paris, France.

Unlike his presence from 2005 to 2024, except for his absence in 2023 due to injury, Nadal's arrival before approximately 14,000 spectators at Philippe Chatrier on Sunday (25/5/2025) was not for competition. Moreover, one of Spain's most successful athletes has retired from professional tennis since November 2024.

Nadal retired at the Davis Cup team championship in his home country, after having appeared at Roland Garros six months earlier. His defeat to Alexander Zverev in the first round turned out to be Nadal's final appearance on the court that had made him a 14-time French Open champion.

He became the champion in his debut in 2005, continuing each year until 2008. After losing to Robin Soderling in the fourth round of 2009, Nadal returned to dominate the French Open by winning the title from 2010 to 2014. His titles increased in 2017-2020, concluding in 2022. Out of 116 matches at Roland Garros, Nadal has only lost four times!

Initially, the Director of the French Open, a former tennis player, Amelie Mauresmo, and her team were preparing a farewell-themed event for 2024. Moreover, there have been rumors that Nadal will retire in that year. However, Nadal requested that the committee not hold the event.

At that time, Nadal had not confirmed the exact timing for his retirement. He even hoped to still be a part of professional tennis competition despite the rivalry being dominated by young players, such as Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner.

However, Nadal's body, which is 38 years old and plagued by injuries, could not keep up with his passion and dedication to tennis. He ultimately bid farewell while surrounded by family, fellow countrymen tennis players, and the Spanish public in Malaga.

The farewell event was quite simple. There were no appearances from tennis players who were rivals and friends from other countries, except for those who were indeed competing in the Davis Cup.

The event held at Roland Garros on the first day of the 2025 French Open was also simple. Mauresmo stated that Nadal indeed requested not to hold a grand event, although the details of the event were still organized by the committee.

Although he has been accustomed to a new phase of life as the head of the family for six months, and has not played tennis since his retirement, Nadal still could not hide his emotions throughout the event lasting approximately 50 minutes.

Since then (2005 French Open), I understood how important Roland Garros is for me.

His eyes were misty as Maury called him to enter the field, especially as he received a warm welcome from the spectators wearing brick-orange shirts with the words "Merci Nadal" on the left chest.

In the top tier of the stands, some spectators wore white shirts arranged to form the inscription 14 RG, an image of a trophy, the name Rafa, and a heart symbol.

Among the audience were fellow former tennis players such as Jo Wilfried-Tsonga and Yannick Noah, as well as the new era French Open champions, Carlos Alcaraz and Iga Swiatek, who sat close together. There was also former Spanish basketball player and friend of Nadal, Pau Gasol.

It took Nadal a few minutes to calm his heart before speaking in front of the audience, after watching a video montage of his journey at Roland Garros. Moreover, the shouts of "Rafa! Rafa!" from the stands continued to be heard until Maury had to ask the audience to be quiet.

In English, French, and Spanish, Nadal recounted his journey at Roland Garros, which he referred to as the most important court and tournament in his 23-year career. Although he made his debut at the French Open in 2005 and immediately became the champion, he arrived at Roland Garros a year earlier.

"2004 was the first moment I came to Roland Garros. I had difficulty walking and had to use crutches. I returned here in 2005 and played one of the most important matches against my childhood friend, Richard Gasquet," Nadal began his story while reading from several sheets of paper in front of the audience.

As mentioned, Nadal was supposed to make his debut at the French Open in 2004. However, a fracture in the bone of his left ankle, sustained during the ATP Estoril tournament, caused him to miss the tournament for three months, resulting in his absence from both the French Open and Wimbledon. Nevertheless, he still attended Roland Garros as a spectator, despite having difficulty walking.

"Since that time (2005 French Open), I have understood how important Roland Garros is to me. Throughout my journey, I have had rivals such as (Roger) Federer, Andy (Murray), Novak (Djokovic), and other players who have pushed my physical and mental limits beyond my capabilities," he said subsequently.

When the time came to express gratitude to his family, including Toni Nadal, who has been his uncle and coach since childhood, Nadal repeatedly wiped away tears. Toni, who sat alongside Sebastian and Ana Maria (Nadal's parents), Maria Isabel (sister), and Maria Fransisca (wife) holding Rafael Nadal Junior (son), is the most significant figure in Nadal's career as a tennis player.

Toni is the person who taught Nadal to play tennis from the age of four. He guided his nephew to achieve 16 out of a total of 22 Grand Slam titles.

Despite being trained rigorously by Toni, Nadal always refers to Toni as the figure who has shaped him into who he is today. In addition to winning 22 titles from all Grand Slams, Nadal has reached the top of the world rankings, led Spain to five Davis Cup victories, and secured a gold medal for Spain in the 2008 Beijing Olympics (men's singles) and the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics (men's doubles).

"Toni, you are the reason why I am here. Thank you for dedicating most of your time to me. Training, discussions, making me suffer, laughing, and also pushing me to my limits. It was not easy at all, but without a doubt, it meant a lot," said Nadal to his uncle, who was holding back tears while listening.

Nadal's tears became increasingly uncontrollable when it was time to thank his wife, whom he referred to as Mary, as well as his father and mother, the names he used for his parents. Nadal also mentioned some of the individuals who played significant roles in his journey.

“There are still many people I haven't mentioned, people behind the scenes who always support me,” he said.

Those who played a significant role in that journey and were present at the venue include Nadal's biggest rivals, namely Federer, Djokovic, and Murray, leading to the term "Big Four" to describe their competitive bond. Among the four, only Djokovic has not yet retired and continues to compete in the 2025 French Open.

"I often discuss this with Roger. Andy has just experienced it, only Novak has not. Our perspectives will be different when our careers are over. Having you as rivals means a lot. However, at the same time, there is a more significant message for the world, which is that the best and toughest rivals can become good friends. That is our legacy for the new generation," said Nadal, who has faced Federer 40 times, Murray 24 times, and competed with Djokovic 60 times.

Federer, who is known to be closest to Nadal, expressed his respect for his rival and friend, as well as for his family and coaching team. "We have competed for a very long time. We have pushed each other to become better through tough matches. When I was asked to be present today, I never thought of missing it," said Federer.

The tennis player with 20 Grand Slam titles believes that the award ceremony held at Roland Garros is very important for Nadal. "Rafa is the best here. It is only natural for him to receive an event like this," he stated on the official ATP website.

At the end of the event, Nadal received two forms of awards that were a surprise from the committee. He was presented with a large crystal trophy inscribed with "legend" and the years he won the French Open. The trophy was accompanied by Nadal's own signature.

Another moment that brought Nadal to tears was when Mauresmo unveiled a plaque affixed to the surface of the court near the net. The white plaque, which appeared as if the layer of brick dust had been swept away, bore the name Rafa Nadal along with an image of The Musketeers trophy featuring the number 14 and the imprint of his shoe while playing at Philippe Chatrier.

"I did not know about the existence of that plaque. When I saw it, I thought it would be here for the duration of this tournament. When I learned that it would be permanently affixed to the court, I find it hard to describe my feelings in words. It is a tremendous honor, special, and makes me emotional," said Nadal.

Four years ago, on May 27, 2021, Nadal received another award from the French Tennis Federation. He was made a statue of iron three meters high and 4.89 meters wide with a forehand style. The forehand with the left hand, which makes the ball fly fast and spin fast, is a characteristic of Nadal's weapon.

The Roland Garros award ceremony to honor Nadal's legacy concluded as the tennis player known as the "King of Clay" walked around the court waving to the audience. He truly left the Philippe Chatrier court while carrying Rafa Jr., who was handed down by Sebastian from the stands.

“Merci Rafa!” (ap/afp/reuters)