Rafael Nadal’s French Open ceremony brings Federer, Djokovic and Murray back to Roland Garros

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COURT PHILIPPE-CHATRIER, PARIS — On Sunday, Rafael Nadal did one of the hardest things in tennis — he actually said goodbye. And more than that, he did so in a way that for once felt perfectly pitched. There were no needlessly overwrought tributes, no awkwardly stage-managed moments, and no out-of-place music from the 2000s.

Nadal, flanked at the end by his fellow Big Four members, Roger Federer, Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray, was grinning from ear to ear one moment and weeping the next. He spent all of last year evading questions about when he would officially retire from tennis, finally doing so in November at the Davis Cup finals, and the decision to defer his Roland Garros by a year after playing his final match here in May 2024 paid off. With a bit of distance, Nadal looked ready to say goodbye in a way he never did last year.

Between the day and night sessions on Court Philippe-Chatrier, he got the farewell he wanted as the French crowd paid homage to their greatest champion. As well as the tributes from Federer and co, Nadal was reunited with behind-the-scenes staff from Roland Garros, including his regular driver. Nadal wept at seeing them again, in one of the most emotional moments of the event.

The tennis world hadn’t seen Nadal this emotional since Federer’s farewell in London three years ago, and it was a far cry from the slightly stilted affair in Malaga six months ago which followed Nadal’s last ever match. That farewell ceremony drew criticism from his two most high-profile coaches, uncle Toni and Carlos Moya, who didn’t feel it befitted the career of statistically the second-greatest male player of all time.

Perhaps there had also been some fatigue at Nadal farewells last year, as his favourite clay-court tournaments all lined up to say goodbye week after week in the spring. Nadal himself had seemingly had enough back then, leaving his farewell at the Italian Open before it could even get properly started, fed up with a straight-sets defeat to Poland’s Hubert Hurkacz.

But on a mild early evening in Paris, everyone was in a party mood. At soon after 6 p.m. local time, the 14-time French Open champion entered the court, dressed smart-casual in a black suit without a tie.

He arrived to a hero’s welcome. The 15,000 people packed onto the Court Philippe-Chatrier that Nadal turned into his living room over the previous 20 years were mostly wearing T-shirts the colour of the famous clay that he stood on. Emblazoned on them all was a simple message: “Merci Rafa.” Some T-shirts were white, spelling out his name with hearts on either side on one side of the stands. On the other side of the stands, the white T-shirts spelled out “14 RG,” to recognize his staggering number of title wins here.

Court Philippe-Chatrier was transformed into an homage to Nadal, who won the French Open 14 times. (Julien de Rosa / AFP via Getty Images)

Nadal stood by a lectern on the court as a video montage of his victories played out behind him, showing his transformation from teenage bull to tennis elder statesman. While it played, he looked as though he might be about to deliver a keynote speech on corporate responsibility at a business conference, rather than reflect on one of the most staggering achievements in the history of sport. The MC eventually had to intervene and ask for calm, as the spectators cheered and cheered after the video had finished.

Nadal’s wife and son were there, as were his parents, sister and uncle/coach Toni. His heir apparent Carlos Alcaraz was present with his coach Juan Carlos Ferrero, another Spanish French Open champion.

Nadal spoke in French first of all, looking down at his notes as he said: “I have lived many emotions here on that court.”

Then in English, with that lilt as unmistakable as one of his trademark lasso forehands up the line, he told the story of coming to the French Open for the first time in 2004 but being on crutches because of a foot injury. He recalled walking to the top of Chatrier and looking down on the court, hoping to be back the following year. He managed that, and won the title at his first attempt, aged 19. Thirteen more of them followed, as Nadal achieved one of the most remarkable feats in any sport. The French crowd weren’t initially sure about Nadal — he was initially nicknamed l’ogre by some here, perceived as overly physical in comparison to his more stylish rival Federer.

Over time, Paris grew to adore Nadal. French football legend Zinedine Zidane gave him the Olympic torch at the opening ceremony of the 2024 Paris Games last summer. Three years ago, the French Open unveiled a statue of Nadal.

“You made me feel like one more Frenchman here,” Nadal said.

Nadal was most emotional in Spanish, thanking Toni and the rest of his family.

“Thank you for never stopping believing in me in the difficult moments,” he said to his uncle, through tears.

“You are the reason why I am here. Thank you for having dedicated a huge part of your life to being with me. Talking, training, winning, making me suffer and pushing me to my limits. What we have lived was never easy, but without a doubt, it was worth it,” he said.

After a standing ovation came the moment everyone had been waiting for. As Federer, Djokovic and Murray entered the court, Nadal embraced them, looking like a groom meeting his groomsmen at a wedding. They have been through so much together, and Nadal seems to genuinely love the fact that they are now friends as well as former rivals.

“We’ll always be with you,” Federer said in his video message before coming out in the flesh.

On court, Nadal told them: “We all achieved our dreams. We played in the most amazing stadiums — and built amazing rivalries, in a good way.

“Tennis is just a game — sometimes we feel it a bit more, but we understand that really it’s only a game.”

In one final surprise, and another way to ensure Nadal’s immortality at Roland Garros, he was presented with a plaque on the side of the court. It bears his name, his footprint, and the number 14.

Nadal then posed for pictures with the other Big Four members, and left the stage with his son.

Having all four of them together felt like the closing not just of the Nadal chapter, but also of that era of tennis, even though Djokovic still carries on. The moment resonated all the more for that, because while Nadal and the others were all phenomenally compelling on their own, they were so much more so as part of this intergalactic pack.

He, Murray and Federer all agonised with how to say farewell, and in the case of the former two, they seemed to struggle badly with letting go.

On Sunday, Nadal was able to do so. It was worth the wait.

(Top photo: Dimitar Dilkoff / AFP via Getty Images)

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