Tennis legend Rafael Nadal will be honoured at this year’s French Open for his incredible achievements on the clay courts of Roland Garros, according to Olympics.com. The 38-year-old Spanish player, who has won 22 Grand Slam titles, holds a record 14 French Open wins.

The special tribute will be held on May 25, the first Sunday of the tournament, at Court Philippe-Chatrier after the day’s matches. Nadal, who officially retired in November last year, is also a two-time Olympic gold medallist, winning singles in 2008 (Beijing) and doubles in 2016 (Rio).

With an outstanding record of 112 wins and just 4 losses at Roland Garros, Nadal is widely seen as the king of clay. Organisers are also planning to offer him an ambassador role at the tournament in the future.

French Tennis Federation President Gilles Moreton called Rafael Nadal’s connection with Roland Garros a true “love story,” as quoted by Olympics.com. He said Nadal has always shown great respect for the tournament and the clay courts, and in return, they deeply admire him, not just as a champion, but as someone who could become a future ambassador for Roland Garros and the federation.

Tournament director Amelie Mauresmo shared that the details of Nadal’s tribute will remain a surprise. She highlighted how Nadal has left a lasting mark on Roland Garros with his record 14 titles—something that may never be matched in any Grand Slam. Though he won’t be playing this year, she said Nadal will still have a strong presence at the 2025 French Open because of the special bond he shares with the tournament.

 Nadal won his first French Open title in 2005 and claimed his 14th and final one in 2022. His last appearance at Roland Garros was in 2024, where he was defeated in the first round by Alexander Zverev. With that win, Zverev became only the third player ever to beat Nadal at the French Open, joining Robin Soderling and Novak Djokovic, who managed it twice.

Nadal also competed in the 2024 Olympics held in Paris, where he lost in the second round of singles to eventual gold medalist Novak Djokovic. In doubles, he partnered with Carlos Alcaraz, but the duo exited in the quarter-finals.

 

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