French Open 'Merci Rafa' T-shirts resurface online at sky-high prices
Tennis - French Open - Roland Garros, Paris, France - May 25, 2025 Spectators in the stands make a heart with special \"Merci Rafa' tees provided for a tribute to former tennis player and record French Open winner Rafael Nadal REUTERS/Gonzalo Fuentes
Tennis - French Open - Roland Garros, Paris, France - May 25, 2025 Former tennis player and record French Open winner Rafael Nadal during a tribute REUTERS/Gonzalo Fuentes
PARIS - French Open organisers handed out 10,000 brick-red T-shirts for Sunday's tribute to 14-times Roland Garros champion Rafael Nadal on Monday and while most people took the souvenir home, several tried to sell them online for up to 500 euros.
The "Merci Rafa" T-shirts turned the stands into a living canvas, while high in the upper tiers, fans in white shirts formed a mosaic: "RAFA" flanked by hearts and the characters "14 RG".
T-shirts were up for sale on Monday morning with prices ranging from 150 to 500 euros, to the disappointment of the French tennis federation (FFT).
"That some people are taking the opportunity to make money off the 'Merci Rafa' T-shirt, I find that a bit deplorable, but we weren't going to take the T-shirt back in the end," FFT president Gilles Moretton told reporters.
"We did something unique, and with uniqueness sometimes comes this kind of drift. I saw some prices that scared me." REUTERS
Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Straits Times
17 minutes ago
- Straits Times
Alcaraz bludgeons Paul to reach French Open semis, Swiatek to face Sabalenka
Tennis - French Open - Roland Garros, Paris, France - June 3, 2025 Italy's Lorenzo Musetti in action during his quarter final match against Frances Tiafoe of the U.S. REUTERS/Lisi Niesner Tennis - French Open - Roland Garros, Paris, France - June 3, 2025 Italy's Lorenzo Musetti celebrates during his quarter final match against Frances Tiafoe of the U.S. REUTERS/Lisi Niesner PARIS - Defending champion Carlos Alcaraz steamrolled past American 12th-seed Tommy Paul 6-0 6-1 6-4 at the French Open on Tuesday with a jaw-dropping display of attacking tennis in one of the most one-sided men's quarter-finals in Paris in recent memory. Four-time champion Iga Swiatek, who is looking to become the first woman in the professional era to win four consecutive titles in Paris, also punched her semi-final ticket with a straight sets win over Elina Svitolina of Ukraine to set up a mouth-watering semi-final with world number one Aryna Sabalenka. But it was four-time Grand Slam champion Alcaraz's merciless dismantling of Paul that grabbed the fans' attention, with the 22-year-old Spaniard terrorising the former French Open junior champion who looked like a fish out of water. Alcaraz charged through the first two sets in just 53 minutes and in near flawless fashion, hitting winners at will and chasing down every ball before the shell-shocked American had any time to react. Paul pulled himself together to hold serve and go 4-3 up in the third but as the sun gradually went down over Paris so did the curtain on his inspired run, with Alcaraz winning three games in a row to put him out of his misery in just 94 minutes. "I could close my eyes and everything went in," Alcaraz said. "My feeling was unbelievable. I tried to hit the shots 100% and not think about it." "Today it was one of those matches where everything went in," he said. He will next take on in-form Italian Lorenzo Musetti who battled past American Frances Tiafoe in four sets after surviving a second-set wobble, to reach the French Open semi-finals for the first time. MUSETTI WARNING Musetti, the world number seven, who escaped with a warning for unsportsmanlike conduct when he kicked a ball at a line judge, eventually overran 15th seed Tiafoe. "Honestly it was really unlucky coincidence," said Musetti of the incident. "I was a little bit scared, because I really didn't want to harm nobody, of course. So I immediately went to the line umpire, and I of course said, 'sorry', I apologise to everyone." "It was right to have a warning, but I think the umpire saw that there was no intention about that, and that's why probably just, you know, let me continue my game." That occurred in the second set when Musetti, the only man to reach at least the semi-finals of every main claycourt event this season, was given balls to serve. He kicked one to inadvertently hit the line judge, who barely flinched even though she was hit on her upper body. Grand Slam rules state that players are issued a warning at first instance for any ball abuse. Tiafoe, however, called it 'comical' that there was no serious punishment. "I mean, obviously he did that and nothing happened," said Tiafoe, who had looked surprised and pointed out the incident to the chair umpire. "I think that's comical, but it is what it is. Nothing happened, so there's nothing really to talk about. Obviously it's not consistent, so it is what it is." Earlier, and in front of a sparse crowd around lunchtime, Swiatek braved the windy conditions to beat Svitolina 6-1 7-5. Although Swiatek failed to win a title going into the tournament this season, she looks to have rediscovered her remarkable claycourt form in Paris, stretching her winning run at the French Open to 26 consecutive matches following her title three-peat between 2022-24 to add to her 2020 crown. Three-time Grand Slam champion Sabalenka, hunting her first French Open crown, also needed just two sets to overcome Olympic champion Zheng Qinwen and snap her opponent's 10-match winning streak at Roland Garros with a 7-6(3) 6-3 victory. "I think we're all here for one reason," Sabalenka said. "Everyone wants that beautiful trophy. I'm glad I have another opportunity, another semi-final to do better than last time." "I really hope that by the end of the claycourt season I'm really proud of myself." REUTERS Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
CNA
26 minutes ago
- CNA
Alcaraz bludgeons Paul to reach French Open semis, Swiatek to face Sabalenka
PARIS :Defending champion Carlos Alcaraz steamrolled past American 12th-seed Tommy Paul 6-0 6-1 6-4 at the French Open on Tuesday with a jaw-dropping display of attacking tennis in one of the most one-sided men's quarter-finals in Paris in recent memory. Four-time champion Iga Swiatek, who is looking to become the first woman in the professional era to win four consecutive titles in Paris, also punched her semi-final ticket with a straight sets win over Elina Svitolina of Ukraine to set up a mouth-watering semi-final with world number one Aryna Sabalenka. But it was four-time Grand Slam champion Alcaraz's merciless dismantling of Paul that grabbed the fans' attention, with the 22-year-old Spaniard terrorising the former French Open junior champion who looked like a fish out of water. Alcaraz charged through the first two sets in just 53 minutes and in near flawless fashion, hitting winners at will and chasing down every ball before the shell-shocked American had any time to react. Paul pulled himself together to hold serve and go 4-3 up in the third but as the sun gradually went down over Paris so did the curtain on his inspired run, with Alcaraz winning three games in a row to put him out of his misery in just 94 minutes. "I could close my eyes and everything went in," Alcaraz said. "My feeling was unbelievable. I tried to hit the shots 100 per cent and not think about it." "Today it was one of those matches where everything went in," he said. He will next take on in-form Italian Lorenzo Musetti who battled past American Frances Tiafoe in four sets after surviving a second-set wobble, to reach the French Open semi-finals for the first time. MUSETTI WARNING Musetti, the world number seven, who escaped with a warning for unsportsmanlike conduct when he kicked a ball at a line judge, eventually overran 15th seed Tiafoe. "Honestly it was really unlucky coincidence," said Musetti of the incident. "I was a little bit scared, because I really didn't want to harm nobody, of course. So I immediately went to the line umpire, and I of course said, 'sorry', I apologise to everyone." "It was right to have a warning, but I think the umpire saw that there was no intention about that, and that's why probably just, you know, let me continue my game." That occurred in the second set when Musetti, the only man to reach at least the semi-finals of every main claycourt event this season, was given balls to serve. He kicked one to inadvertently hit the line judge, who barely flinched even though she was hit on her upper body. Grand Slam rules state that players are issued a warning at first instance for any ball abuse. Tiafoe, however, called it 'comical' that there was no serious punishment. "I mean, obviously he did that and nothing happened," said Tiafoe, who had looked surprised and pointed out the incident to the chair umpire. "I think that's comical, but it is what it is. Nothing happened, so there's nothing really to talk about. Obviously it's not consistent, so it is what it is." Earlier, and in front of a sparse crowd around lunchtime, Swiatek braved the windy conditions to beat Svitolina 6-1 7-5. Although Swiatek failed to win a title going into the tournament this season, she looks to have rediscovered her remarkable claycourt form in Paris, stretching her winning run at the French Open to 26 consecutive matches following her title three-peat between 2022-24 to add to her 2020 crown. Three-time Grand Slam champion Sabalenka, hunting her first French Open crown, also needed just two sets to overcome Olympic champion Zheng Qinwen and snap her opponent's 10-match winning streak at Roland Garros with a 7-6(3) 6-3 victory. "I think we're all here for one reason," Sabalenka said. "Everyone wants that beautiful trophy. I'm glad I have another opportunity, another semi-final to do better than last time." "I really hope that by the end of the claycourt season I'm really proud of myself."
Straits Times
32 minutes ago
- Straits Times
Smith paves way as England crush West Indies to complete 3-0 series sweep
Cricket - Third One Day International - England v West Indies - Kia Oval, London, Britain - June 3, 2025 England's Harry Brook and Jos Buttler celebrate after the match Action Images via Reuters/Paul Childs REUTERS Cricket - Third One Day International - England v West Indies - Kia Oval, London, Britain - June 3, 2025 England's Jos Buttler shakes hands with West Indies' Jayden Seales after the match Action Images via Reuters/Paul Childs REUTERS Cricket - Third One Day International - England v West Indies - Kia Oval, London, Britain - June 3, 2025 England's Harry Brook celebrates after the match Action Images via Reuters/Paul Childs REUTERS Cricket - Third One Day International - England v West Indies - Kia Oval, London, Britain - June 3, 2025 England's Jos Buttler in action Action Images via Reuters/Paul Childs REUTERS Cricket - Third One Day International - England v West Indies - Kia Oval, London, Britain - June 3, 2025 England's Jamie Smith in action Action Images via Reuters/Paul Childs REUTERS LONDON - England completed a 3-0 sweep of West Indies in their one-day international series with opener Jamie Smith's rapid half century paving the way for a convincing seven-wicket victory at the Oval on Tuesday. Set a revised target of 246 in 40 overs after West Indies posted 251-9 in a rain-shortened match, England sauntered to victory after Smith's ferocious onslaught of 64 from 28 balls. Fellow opener Ben Duckett chipped in with 58 and Joe Root made a relaxed 44 as England made light work of the chase -- Jos Buttler joining the party with a quickfire 41 and sealing victory with a huge six in the 30th over. A series whitewash was the perfect start for England's new white ball captain Harry Brook after England had lost their previous seven ODIs ahead of the series. England's players arrived at a murky Oval on a fleet of hire bicycles to avoid local traffic problems that snagged the West Indies team coach and caused a 30-minute delay to the start. But the 24-year-old Smith set off more like an express train as his withering assault on the West Indies attack whisked the game away from the chastened visitors. He brought up his first ODI half century in the seventh over of England's reply from just 25 balls, launching spinner Gudakesh Motie over the long on boundary for six. Another six followed before Motie ended the carnage by bowling him with the next ball, Smith departing having struck 10 boundaries and three sixes in a memorable innings that earned him the man of the match award. "I enjoyed the freedom, having the backing of the team to go out and play that way," Smith said. "It's not always going to go well. It's a fine balance between being positive, not reckless." Duckett was almost a slouch in comparison, reaching his half century in 34 balls before being caught by Evin Lewis off the bowling of Roston Chase. England were romping along at more than 10 an over with their 150 coming up in the 14th over before Root and Brook kept the scoreboard ticking in more leisurely fashion with the outcome already a foregone conclusion. Root, who made 57 in the first match in Edgbaston and a magnificent 166 not out in Cardiff, was out top-edging Alzarri Joseph to his namesake Shamar Joseph at deep fine leg. After a brief lull, Butler then put the gloss on England's day with an entertaining 20-ball cameo. Put in after losing the toss, West Indies stumbled to 28-3 with skipper Shai Hope out first ball but Keacy Carty and Sherfane Rutherford fought back to move them to 82-3. Rain then forced a two-hour delay and reduced the match to a 40-over per side contest and on the resumption Adil Rashid bowled Carty, removed Justin Greaves for 12 and then Roston Chase first ball to leave West Indies reeling on 121-6. But Rutherford made 70, including nine fours and two sixes, before being flicking a shortish Brydon Carse to mid-wicket where he was brilliantly caught by the diving Brook. A belligerent 63 from the impressive Motie in a swashbuckling 91-run partnership with Alzarri Joseph (41) helped West Indies to a total that at least looked competitive. But the total proved wholly inadequate as England laid down a marker for a new era under Brook. REUTERS Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
