Rafael Nadal's soul-stirring moment as Federer, Djokovic join tribute; French Open's ‘footprint' gesture shines
Twenty years to the day after his debut at Stade Roland Garros, Rafael Nadal returned to the French Open one last time. The bandana was missing, and so were the tape on his fingers and the capri pants, as the Spaniard was all suited up for a ceremony to celebrate his career at the Grand Slam event. The sight of being serenaded by the packed Court Philippe Chatrier, with spectators donning the custom-made 'Merci Rafa' shirts, which every ticket holder on May 25 received at the venue, and the special four-minute-long tribute clip left the 38-year-old in tears. But the soul-stirring moment came when he reunited with the remaining members of the Big Four.
Fresh from winning his 100th career title at the Geneva Open, Novak Djokovic joined Nadal during the Court Philippe Chatrier ceremony, along with Roger Federer and Andy Murray. The trio walked out after Nadal's speech to greet their fellow former world number one, to a deafening roar from the fans. They shared knowing glances, a few private words as Nadal hugged and thanked each one of them.
"After all these years fighting for everything, it's unbelievable how time changes the perspective of things," the 14-time French Open winner said. "All the nerves, pressure, strange feelings when you see each other when you're rivals, it's completely different when you finish your career.
"We built amazing rivalries but I think in a good way, we fought hard for titles but were good colleagues and respected one another. It means a lot that you're all here. I really enjoyed a lot pushing myself to the limit every single day to compete with all of you."
Current generation stars Carlos Alcaraz and Iga Swiatek were also present, standing shoulder to shoulder with the crowd, both wearing the tribute shirt.
Roland Garros reserved their ultimate gift for Nadal right at the end of the ceremony, with Federer, Djokovic and Murray joining in. As part of the ceremony, the organisers unveiled a permanent tribute for the 22-time Slam winner - Nadal's footprint set into the clay of Court Philippe Chatrier, a lasting mark to honour his unprecedented French Open record. The gesture left Nadal in tears once again.
"I thought it would be for today or for the duration of this year's tournament, but when they told me it would be forever, I couldn't describe the emotions I felt," Nadal later told the media after the ceremony.
Nadal ended his career with a record 114-3 win-loss tally at the French Open, including a 14-0 run in the final. His last appearance at this Slam came in 2024, where he lost to Alexander Zverev in the first round.
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