The Big Four will be reunited at the French Open for Rafael Nadal’s farewell ceremony in Paris with Novak Djokovic confirming he will attend the tribute along with Roger Federer and Andy Murray.
Nadal bowed out of tennis after the Davis Cup Finals in Malaga in November 2024 and Spaniards paid homage to their hero after the country’s exit from the tournament.
Djokovic, Federer and Murray were initially expected to attend that ceremony, but they were only due to arrive later in the week as many believed Spain would reach the semi-final and/or final.
However, the host nation lost against the Netherlands in the last eight and the big ceremony was a bit watered down, much to the frustration of Nadal’s former coach Carlos Moya, Spain’s Davis Cup captain David Ferrer and several others in the tennis community.
But there will be another farewell in Paris on Sunday as Roland Garros will wave goodbye to its favourite son following his historic 14 Grand Slam titles on the clay courts.
French Open Tournament Director Amélie Mauresmo stated: “We want it to be something special, exceptional, but I don’t want to say too much so that it’s a surprise for everyone.
Despite Nadal’s requests not to have a big party, several big stars will be at the French Open to attend the ceremony, including 24-time Grand Slam winner Djokovic.
“It’s going to be a very special, very emotional moment for everyone,” the tennis great told Lematin.ch. “With Federer and Murray, we’ll be there for the ceremony. It’s going to be a beautiful moment.”
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Nadal’s heir, Carlos Alcaraz, has also indicated that he will attend with his first-round of the 2025 French Open only taking place on Monday, while Iga Swiatek is also expected to be on Court Philippe Chatrier for the “surprise”.
The ceremony will only get underway after the day’s matches are concluded with events unlikely to start before 18:00 local time.
Djokovic won his 100th ATP Tour singles title at the Geneva Open on Saturday in what has been a difficult 2025 so far.
He has reached only two finals – he finished runner-up at the 2025 Miami Open – since winning his 99th title at the 2024 Paris Olympics in August last year and he admitted Nadal’s retirement had a big impact on him.
When asked if it was difficult to be motivated now that his great rival Nadal is no longer playing, he told Lematin: “Yes, it was hard to stay motivated without him. I honestly didn’t think it would be like this.
“A part of me went with him, and it’s been a challenge to find my motivation again. Luckily, there are other things that inspire me.”
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