Rafael Nadal will have a well-deserved ceremony at the 2025 Roland Garros after retiring from the sport at last year's Davis Cup.
The first thing that many tennis fans think of when they hear Rafael Nadal is Roland Garros, and the same applies also the other way around. The Spaniard's success on the Parisian clay was incredible, so much so that most pundits and former players think that no one will ever come even close to matching his achievements in the French capital.
But despite being the greatest clay-court tennis player of all time, Nadal didn't have a well-deserved send-off at Roland Garros, even though he participated at the venue twice in 2024.
The reason for that is simple. Although the legendary Spaniard played at Roland Garros twice in 2024, first at the French Open and then at the Paris Olympics, his retirement wasn't confirmed during his participation at those events.
Despite his incredible legacy at Roland Garros, Nadal chose to retire at the Davis Cup, likely not wanting to have to carry on for another half a season. Nadal's French Open campaign last year ended with his only first-round loss at the event.
In 2025, the 38-year-old Spaniard will return to the courts that saw him lift the Coupe des Mousquetaires 14 times. He will be part of a special ceremony that the tournament organizers have prepared for him.
Tournament director, Amalie Maurersmo, spoke about the plans for this year's Roland Garros, confirming that there will be a ceremony held for the 22-time Grand Slam champion. The tournament organizers want to "pay tribute" to the legendary Spaniard.
The ceremony will be held after the conclusion of the first three matches on the first day of play. On top of that, there will also be an exhibition dedicated to Nadal running throughout the tournament at Roland-Garros Tenniseum.
But Nadal won't be the only one who will be honored by the tournament organizers in Paris this year. Mary Pierce, who won the singles and doubles French Open titles in 2000, will have a ceremony, commemorating her wins on their 25th anniversary. The ceremony will take place between the two women's semi-finals on June 5th.
Another player who will be celebrated in Paris this year is Richard Gasquet. The French veteran will end his professional tennis career at Roland Garros this year, and he will have a ceremony dedicated to him after his last match.
This year's French Open will officially start on May 19th, with the main draw action kicking off on May 25th and running until June 8th.
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