Nadal's Iconic Shirt From 2005 Roland Garros Sold In Auction For Record Price

Rafael Nadal made a strong fashion statement at the 2005 Roland Garros by winning the tournament in distinctive attire.

Less than a month ago, it was announced that his iconic sleeveless top from his maiden French Open, which he won at the age of 19, was up for sale from Prestige Memorabilia and expected to sell for six figures.

It was authenticated by Resolution Photmatching to be the same one that Nadal wore during the 2005 Roland Garros tournament, where he made his debut appearance in Paris. The deadline of August 4th was set as the last day of auctioning.

It's becoming a regular occurrence for tennis mementos to be sold in an auction for a number of reasons. The primary reason for that is the historical importance that they carry, and collectors want to own them.

For instance, in the past 18 months, rackets of famous tennis players have been sold at monstrous prices, like Novak Djokovic's racket from his 2016 French Open title win, which helped him complete the career Grand Slam.

Nadal's and Iga Swiatek's rackets from the 2007 and 2023 French Open have also attracted hefty sums of money. Tennis, being a global sport, has massive fanfare, and because of such increased following, dedicated fan bases are fond of their success and tend to value their memorabilia.

Some tennis players can also auction their own items for noble causes, such as charity, as Alexander Zverev did two years ago. He sold his racket and Olympic jacket and channeled the proceeds to United Charity.

The French Open has always been a tournament that many tennis players and pundits associate with Nadal, who has won the event a record 14 times and is considered the greatest tennis player on a clay court.

Within a week of his shirt going on sale, a successful bidder purchased it for $113,924, which is a record for a match-worn tennis outfit, shattering the previous record held by his former rival Roger Federer, whose 2009 French Open shirt and shorts sold for almost $95,000.

Nadal's 2005 French Open title opened the floodgates and allowed him to dominate the clay-court major in a manner never seen before. That year, he defeated Federer in the semifinal in their first meeting at a Grand Slam before landing the title by beating Mariano Puerta in the final.

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The outfit has become a trendsetter and revolutionized tennis fashion greatly. Sportswear company Nike has replicated the designs for some tennis players, like Carlos Alcaraz and Holger Rune, who ditched short-sleeved shirts for sleeveless tops at the 2024 Australian Open.

Overall, Nadal compiled an unmatched 112-4 record and won four of his 14 titles without dropping a set. He refused to be drawn into the retirement declaration or whether he might have played his last match on Stade Roland Garros, where he lost to Djokovic at the Olympics.

He has confirmed he won't be competing at the US Open in late August but will return to represent Team Europe at the Laver Cup next month. Who knows, maybe Nadal will bring back the sleeveless shirt with him.

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