The Rafael Nadal tributes flowed across 2024 as it became increasingly clear that it would be his final year as a tennis player, but Roland Garros was the place where his official send-off needed to be staged.
He had a farewell party after his final French Open match against Alexander Zverev last year and was also given a Roland Garros ovation after his Olympic Games story ended at the venue a little under a year ago.
We had the poorly received ceremony after his final career match at the Davis Cup in November, but that lacked some of the sparkle this remarkable champion deserved.
So when Roland Garros chiefs declared they would take charge of Nadal’s final great moment on their stage at the start of this year’s French Open, it felt like the goodbye he merits was finally about to be delivered.
Nadal already has a statue at Roland Garros and that will stand as a lasting tribute to his greatness, with his 14 wins in Paris arguably the greatest achievement in all of sport and not just tennis.
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Tiger Woods won 15 major titles in his entire golfing career and is considered to be the game’s greatest player.
Lewis Hamilton has won seven Formula 1 world championships and is hailed as the best driver of all-time.
Yet Nadal won double that amount of titles at the French Open alone, with his dominance on Court Philippe-Chatrier as complete as anything we have seen in any sport.
And before Novak Djokovic fans start to throw up familiar aguments that their man has won more majors, spent more weeks as world No 1 and leads his head-to-head record with Nadal, they need to listen to their own hero when he explains why the Spanish legend will always have a title the Serbia cannot own – King of Clay.
In an interview with Serbian broadcaster RTS, Djokovic was asked if there was any reason besides Nadal’s dominance that he was not able to win the French Open earlier.
“Probably not, to be completely honest,” Djokovic replied.
“For me, but for Federer as well. Nadal was unbeatable there for a long time — he lost only a few times at Court Philippe-Chatrier. Every time you walk on that court there with him, he is the favourite.
“Even at the Olympics, he had injury trouble, I was in better form, but still, you know it’s the highest mountain to climb.
“He is the biggest, perhaps the only reason why I don’t have more Roland Garros titles, but I say – every win against him there is worth double.”
There is no doubt that Djokovic and Roger Federer would have numerous more French Open titles on their record if it were not for Nadal, but this is a sportsman who mastered the art of playing on clay like no other.
He won the title at Roland Garros on his first attempt in 2005 and went on to compile a truly staggering 112–4 winning record at the venue he made his own.
His lasoo-like left-handed forehand had so much spin applied that it exploded off the court and picked a hole in the game of his great rival Federer by exposing his weakness playing high backhands.
Nadal’s underrated serve dragged opponents into positions that allowed him to dictate play and hold the upper hand, with some opponents struggling to win points against an opponent who was almost unbeatable for much of his French Open career.
As his aura built, that invincible tag saw most opponents hoisting the white flag and waiting to be beaten before they shared the red clay court with him.
His 6-1, 6-3, 6-0 demolition of Federer in the 2008 French Open final is arguably the greatest exhbition of clay court season of all-time and his 6-0, 6-2 7-5 win against Djokovic in the 2020 final was another highlight.
Yet any time Nadal stepped on Court Philippe-Chatrier, those fortunate to watch a master at work knew they were in the presence of someone very special.
No tennis player will win 14 titles at any Grand Slam again and it is hard to imagine any athlete will ever match the achievements of Nadal at the French Open for as long as sport is played.
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