The French Open will honor 14-time champion Rafael Nadal in a ceremony next month on the opening day of play at Roland Garros in Paris.
Nadal, coming off of injuries, lost in the first round to Alexander Zverev at the French Open last summer in his final tournament appearance. The Spaniard retired last fall after Davis Cup play.
“Rafa made history at Roland Garros, and his 14 titles will perhaps remain unequaled,” tournament director Amelie Mauresmo told reporters Thursday. “The ceremony in honor of Rafa will take place at the end of the day session on May 25 on Court Philippe Chatrier.
“The idea is to have a vision for the future and also to celebrate those who thrilled us in the past.”
Nadal, 38, had not announced his retirement at the time of his most recent French Open, which already has erected a statue of him at Roland Garros, so such a ceremony was viewed as premature, Mauresmo said.
“We wanted to do the tribute last year, to be transparent, but he refused at the time,” she said. “He wasn’t sure that it was his last Roland Garros. Now that he is retired, he is happy to receive it.”
Nadal won 22 Grand Slam singles titles. His record at Roland Garros was 112-4.
The clay-court tournament also will honor a pair of French competitors — 2000 women’s champion Mary Pierce and Richard Gasquet, a Nadal contemporary who is retiring at the end of the upcoming French Open. Pierce won both the singles and doubles titles that year.
–Field Level Media
