Rafael Nadal’s storied Roland Garros career was honoured on Sunday in Paris with a moving ceremony for the 14-time champion.
Nadal, who retired from the sport at last year’s Davis Cup Finals, returned to the site of his most dominant performances and was greeted with a rapturous reception from fans.
When he last competed at the tournament 12 months ago, he fell in straight sets to eventual finalist Alexander Zverev at Court Philippe Chatrier – the first time he’d suffered a first-round loss in 19 appearances.
He was back at Roland Garros two months later for the Paris 2024 Olympics, where he exited in the second round to Novak Djokovic on the same court.
On Sunday, the mood at the venue was more celebratory.
Legendary moment with the legends of the game @rogerfederer @DjokerNole @andy_murray 🥹#RolandGarros @RafaelNadal pic.twitter.com/kfnQFIWFsS
— Roland-Garros (@rolandgarros) May 25, 2025
Symbolically, Djokovic joined Nadal on that court for Sunday’s ceremony, along with Roger Federer and Andy Murray, other members of the famed “Big Four” who were Nadal’s fiercest rivals during a playing career spanning more than two decades.
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Yet Nadal dominated them at Roland Garros, facing that trio a collective 18 times and winning 16 of those matches.
Exactly 20 years on from his first triumph at Roland Garros, where he won the 2005 title for his maiden Grand Slam trophy, Nadal smiled, wept, waved, hugged the on-court attendees and completed a lap of honour before departing.
“I think was perfect, honestly. I couldn't expect a more emotional day,” Nadal said.
“It has been unforgettable, plenty of emotions for a guy like me that, you know, I don't love these kind of things because I'm still a little bit shy for all this stuff. 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.”
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The stands were packed at the 15,000-seat stadium with dignitaries and fans wearing specially-designed clay-coloured T-shirts, making for a spectacular visual.
Among the crowd were defending champions Iga Swiatek and Carlos Alcaraz, former winners and fellow Spaniards Carlos Moya and Juan Carlos Ferrero, plus French tennis icons Yannick Noah, Henri Leconte, Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, Mansour Bahrami, Sebastien Grosjean and Lucas Pouille.
Nadal entered to a standing ovation and addressed the crowd in French, English and Spanish after watching a powerful video tribute beamed on the screens.
During the speech he revealed he first came to the tournament in 2004, barely able to walk and requiring crutches. Nevertheless, he took the time to ascend the stands and survey the court he would come to own.
Nadal went on to win nine of the next 10 editions from 2005 to 2014, and between 2017 and 2022 he won five of six. No player has ever captured the same Grand Slam singles title more times that what Nadal has done at Roland Garros.
To mark that achievement, event organisers have installed a plaque with his name, stats and footprint, revealed by a court attendant who swept away the clay which had concealed it beneath the surface.
“I didn't know anything about the ceremony,” Nadal said. “Only thing that I knew before going there is going to be video when I go on, then gonna be my speech, and then gonna be a couple of surprises. But they didn't want me to know that.
“Then when I see [the plaque], I thought was going to be just for this year. Knowing that's going to be forever there, yeah, it's a present that I can't describe in words.
“For me it was and it is and it's always going to be a huge honour and very, very emotional to have this spot on the most important court of my tennis career, without a doubt.
“It's difficult to describe the feeling, but it's something that really touched me.”
