Few athletes have become more synonymous with a single event than Rafael Nadal and the French Open.
The Spaniard won a record 14 titles at the clay-court grand slam during his illustrious career and Roland Garros gave its legendary champion one last special goodbye on Sunday.
The 38-year-old, who retired from tennis last year, was honored during an emotional ceremony at the start of this year’s event and Nadal couldn’t hide his emotion.
Thousands of fans, many wearing custom red tops with the message “Merci Rafa” written on them, greeted Nadal with a standing ovation as he walked out onto Court Philippe-Chatrier.
A montage of Nadal’s highlights at the tournament then began playing on the big screens, leaving the 22-time grand slam champion with tears in his eyes.
“This is tough,” Nadal said in French, as he started his emotional speech.
“I don’t know where to start after playing on this court for the past 20 years. Winning, losing, but especially being moved every time I’ve had the chance to be here.”
Nadal went on to speak in both English and Spanish as he reminisced about his experiences playing at this event for the last 20 years, after making his debut as an 18-year-old.
He finished with a stunning 112-4 record at the grand slam, winning all 14 of the finals he played on Court Philippe-Chatrier, somewhere he described as, “without doubt, the most important tennis court of my career.”
Nadal’s voice then began to break as he thanked his team for supporting him over the years, notably his uncle Toni, who served as his main coach for much time.
