PARIS — The Court Philippe Chatrier was completely dressed in orange to settle a debt that could not remain unpaid.
Rafael Nadal finally received the tribute he always deserved. The farewell in Paris, on the cool afternoon of Sunday, May 25, was a true sendoff for one of the greatest athletes of all time.
What happened in Paris had nothing to do with the ceremony in Málaga, held just after his last professional match at the 2025 Davis Cup finals.
That cold, dull, and wintery moment in November in southern Spain will soon be forgotten. Paris was filled with color, emotion, gratitude, and deep respect for the greatest Roland Garros champion.
Rafael Nadal appeared on the court where he was happiest as a player, dressed in black, wearing a jacket and shirt. He contrasted with the clay color and the 15,000 people wearing shirts the same shade as the red dust, provided by the organizers. Several times, they chanted his name.
Some spectators in the upper tiers wore white to form numbers, letters, and symbols: “14 RG RAFA,” along with a trophy and a heart.
Well. 🫠 pic.twitter.com/9hlGAuUjmR
— Clay (@_claymagazine) May 25, 2025
Standing halfway to the left side of the umpire’s chair, the world number one during 209 weeks began his speech after taking in the cheers and applause that lasted several minutes.
He started by reading in French, a rare sight: “Infinite gratitude to Roland Garros.”
“Thank you for giving me a farewell of this magnitude on the most important tennis court of my career,” he continued.
He began by recalling the year 2004, when, with a fractured ankle and on crutches, he climbed to the top of the stands and dreamed of returning the following year.
“In 2005, I was finally able to play here for the first time. I was 18 years old, and my first big experience was the match I played against my childhood friend and rival Richard Gasquet. From that day on, I fully understood what Roland Garros meant,” the Spaniard said.
This image is way too powerful, Rafael Nadal. pic.twitter.com/MpnDn7yX4u
— Clay (@_claymagazine) May 25, 2025
His family, friends, and team received his affection. The women close to Nadal were this time seated in the front row, unlike during his matches. His sister Maribel was the one crying the most; the grandmothers, aged 94 and 92 when mentioned by the Spaniard, drew even louder applause.
Toni Nadal had special words: “You are the reason I am here. Thank you for having chosen to dedicate part of your life to working with me.”
He even remembered his cousins, showing his sense of humor. “I don’t have to thank you for anything. Well, you did make it a lot of fun.”
When it came time to speak about Mery Perelló, his wife, he realized he had lost the sheet where his words for her were written: “It doesn’t matter, no need to read. I know it by heart.”
Soon, a ball girl retrieved the paper from his team’s box and handed it back to Nadal: “This is easier, because with all the emotions and everything…”
“Thanks to the energy and happiness our son gives us every day,” Nadal said, filled with emotion. The little boy was clapping.
The appearance of Nadal’s great rivals
The energy peaked when Nadal’s biggest rivals were introduced over the loudspeakers.
Roger Federer, Novak Djokovic, and Andy Murray gathered to honour the player who dominated them over clay.
Nadal improvised a speech for his great opponents. There was nothing left to read.
“It’s a great message to the world that you are here and that we remain friends after the rivalries we had,” Nadal said. He holds the head-to-head advantage over Federer (24-16) and Murray (17-7), but lost narrowly to Djokovic (29-31).
After some photos, the grand finale was spectacular. First, the tournament director, Amélie Mauresmo, and the president of the French Tennis Federation, Gilles Moreton, presented him with a special trophy recognizing his achievements.
Then, a groundskeeper entered the court to sweep beside the net and dust off a commemorative plaque that will forever remain alongside probably the most iconic clay court in the world.
Nadal’s shoe imprint, recreated alongside his name and the number 14, will stand as the symbol of the most impressive mark in sports history.
