The big four of tennis were reunited on the clay court of Roland Garros as the French Open paid tribute to Rafael Nadal, who was joined on court by Novak Djokovic, Roger Federer and Andy Murray on Sunday ahead of this year’s edition of the grand slam.
37-year-old Nadal became the third from the four to retire from the sport when he hung his racket late last year, and the organisers of Roland Garros prepared a befitting farewell for the man who has won the most titles at the tournament.
He was greeted by a long standing ovation by a crowd of 15,000 spectators, including the defending men’s and women’s champions, Carlos Alcaraz and Iga Swiatek, as he stepped onto the court for the ceremony.
“After all these years fighting for everything, it’s unbelievable how time changes the perspective of things,” the 14-time French Open champion said. “All the nerves, pressure, strange feelings when you see each other when you’re rivals, it’s completely different when you finish your career.”
Nadal added, “We built amazing rivalries but I think in a good way, we fought hard for titles but were good colleagues and respected one another. It means a lot that you’re all here. I really enjoyed a lot pushing myself to the limit every single day to compete with all of you.”
He also paid tribute to his family, the tournament organisers, and the vociferous fans. Nadal also gave flowers to his uncle, Toni, who coached him from when he was three years old and through 16 of his 22 grand slam titles.
The ceremony also witnessed Amelie Mauresmo and French Tennis Federation president Gilles Moretton unveil a silver plaque, featuring Nadal’s footprint, next to the Chatrier net post.
“It was perfect. I could not have expected a more emotional day. It was unforgettable with plenty of emotions,” Nadal said. “For a guy like me, who does not like these sort of things, I am still a bit shy and don’t like to be the centre of attention. But I enjoyed it a lot.”