The French Open pays tribute to Nadal, the "King Rafael XIV"

May 2005. That date will be remembered as the moment when one of the greatest legends in tennis history stepped onto Court Philippe Chatrier as a professional player. At the time, the 19-year-old—already beginning to stand out—had no idea what he would go on to achieve in his career, or that he would become the most decorated player in the history of Roland Garros, winning the first of his 14 titles that very year, in his debut. Two decades later, now retired, Rafael Nadal received the well-deserved tribute that his favorite tournament owed him.

This Sunday, the organization of French Open convened a large display of fans, media and personalities from the world of tennis to be present at the tribute they had prepared for Nadal.

No one—and nothing—was missing. Nadal’s entire family, so essential to him, traveled all the way to Paris (France) to be there. They had accompanied him through all his sporting adventures and were direct witnesses to every success of the former tennis star from Manacor (Mallorca, Spain). Among them were his wife, María; his son, Rafael; his parents, Sebastián and Ana María; his sister, Maribel; and his uncle Toni, who coached him for many years.

There was also no shortage of rivals—many of whom, over time, became friends and even admirers. Nadal was part of the Big Four, alongside Switzerland’s Roger Federer, Serbia’s Novak Djokovic, and Britain’s Andy Murray—a quartet that is already part of tennis history (though Djokovic remains active). Together, they have won no fewer than 69 Grand Slam titles. Perhaps, a once-in-a-lifetime era.

Also in attendance was Carlos Alcaraz, seen as the heir to Spanish tennis and its continued success, along with other close friends of Nadal, such as former NBA star Pau Gasol.

The affection, respect and admiration he has earned with his efforts was reflected in every moment of the ceremony. There were ovations, banners, cheers and tears of happiness. However, one of the highlights of the tribute was when they unveiled a commemorative plaque of Nadal with his footprint on one of the sides of the Philippe Chatrier. A gesture with which French Open wants the legend symbolized by the Spanish tennis player to go from something abstract to something tangible and visible.

"It has been very exciting for someone who does not like to be the center of attention. Everything has been a big surprise. I didn't know anything. I knew about the video and that I had to talk. When I saw the print, I thought it was just for this year. I'm honored that it's forever. I want people to be happy to see me when I come back to a place," Nadal said of the plaque. "To have that little piece of me on the Philippe Chatrier is something that excites me just thinking about it."

Nadal announced his retirement in October 2024 and, a month later, played his last match. Since he began his professional career in 2002, the Spanish tennis player played French Open 19 times, winning 14 finals, all of them (2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2022). In his amalgam of titles, also consist two Australian Open (2009 and 2022), two Wimbledon (2008 and 2010), four US Open (2010, 2013, 2017 and 2017) and the gold medal at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, among other successes.