Rafael Nadal will be honoured at this year’s French Open in recognition of his remarkable legacy and achievements at Roland Garros, as per the Olympics.com. The 38-year-old Spaniard is a 22-time Grand Slam champion, with a record 14 of those titles coming on the Paris clay. The ceremony will take place on the opening Sunday of the tournament, 25 May, on Court Philippe-Chatrier, following the day’s matches. Nadal, a two-time Olympic champion (Beijing 2008 singles, Rio 2016 doubles), retired in November last year. His remarkable win-loss record at Roland Garros reads 112-4, and there are plans for him to take up an ambassadorial role at the Grand Slam.
French Tennis Federation president Gilles Moretton said of the tribute, as quoted by the Olympics.com, “It’s a love story. I think it’s important to talk about a love story because he has deep respect for the tournament, for clay, and we have the same respect for the player, for the ambassador he can become for Roland Garros and for the federation.”
Tournament director Amelie Mauresmo added that details of the ceremony will remain a surprise.
“Rafa has, of course, marked the history of Roland Garros in many different ways and his 14 titles will perhaps remain unequalled in a Grand Slam tournament. He will not be playing this year at Roland Garros, but he will be very present by our side for this 2025 edition. Rafa has an important bond with Roland Garros. We want it to be a surprise,” she said.
Nadal’s first title in Paris came in 2005 and his last in 2022. His final appearance at the French Open was in 2024, where he lost in the first round to Alexander Zverev.
Zverev became just the third man ever to beat Nadal at Roland Garros, joining Robin Soderling and Novak Djokovic (twice).
Nadal also played on the red dirt of Paris at last year’s Olympics, losing to eventual champion Djokovic in the second-round singles and bowing out of the doubles with Carlos Alcaraz at the quarter-final stage.
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