Latest news with #MerciRafa
Yahoo
28-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Rafael Nadal tribute shirts explode on secondary market
Rafael Nadal, the 14-time French Open champion, was honored Sunday in a ceremony at Roland Garros. (Credit: Getty Images) Merci Rafa. For the tournaments, the memories ... and the $500 T-shirts? Rafael Nadal, owner of a record 14 French Open championships, was honored at Roland Garros on Sunday, the first day of the calendar's second Grand Slam. Advertisement The tournament honored its greatest champion in a number of ways, including an everlasting footprint on Court Philippe-Chatrier, Roland Garros' center court, a trophy that says "Roland Garros Legend" with his signature and in-person tributes from Roger Federer, Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray, the other members of the "Big Four." But perhaps the most notable was the T-shirt that everyone in the crowd wore, which said "Merci Rafa", as a variety of shades of red littered Chatrier. The "Merci Rafa" shirt became a coveted collectible from the first day of the 2025 French Open. (Credit: Getty Images) The color of the shit was meant to mimic the clay, and the varying shades spread throughout the audience formed a giant mosaic that spelled out "Rafa" and "RG14", celebrating his 14 titles in Paris. Advertisement Nadal left such a legacy in Paris, he even — despite being Spanish — was an official torchbearer at the 2024 Olympic Games in the City of Lights. It's an honor that almost always is exclusively set aside for athletes of the host country. In addition to the shirts' messages, they also displayed the date of the tribute, "25.05.2025." And within minutes of the conclusion of Sunday's tribute, the floodgates opened on the secondary market. The most notable and expensive listings came via Vinted, a Lithuanian online marketplace. Some shirts were listed for as much as 561 Euros, equivalent to $633 USD. Advertisement French Tennis Federation president Gilles Moretton told the Associated Press he was stunned by the prices. "Some of the prices I saw scared me," he said Monday. "It's a bit sad to see people profit off the 'Merci Rafa' shirts. We weren't going to collect them after the ceremony. We created something unique — and maybe that uniqueness explains why this is happening." Moretton told the AP he did not receive a shirt himself, though he is looking for one. "But I'm not about to go on Vinted," he said. Matt Liberman is a reporter and video producer for cllct, the premier company for collectible culture.


News18
27-05-2025
- Sport
- News18
Free Nadal Tribute T-Shirt Sparks Resale Frenzy, French Chief Calls It 'A Shame'
Last Updated: 'Merci Rafa' shirts were resold online by fans, with some listings reaching up to €500 just a day after the French Open honoured Rafael Nadal. French Tennis Federation president Gilles Moretton expressed disappointment that fans were selling the commemorative T-shirts distributed during Rafael Nadal's tribute at Roland Garros online. Organisers provided the 15,000 attendees at Court Philippe Chatrier on Sunday with free T-shirts bearing the words 'merci, Rafa' to celebrate Nadal's illustrious career. The different colours of the shirts spelt out '14 RG, Rafa,' highlighting Nadal's record 14 French Open titles. The simple orange or white T-shirts, also featuring the date '25/05/2025,' were being listed for sale on websites like Vinted and Leboncoin, with prices ranging from 150 euros ($170) to 500 euros ($569). 'What do you want me to say, that we shouldn't have made them?" Moretton remarked during a Monday press conference. 'Some people are trying to make money out of it, with the 'Merci Rafa,' the 'Thank You Rafa.' It's a bit of a shame, but we didn't consider collecting the T-shirts at the end of the ceremony; that wouldn't have been right. I really appreciated that about 98 percent of people wore the T-shirts to pay tribute to Rafa. It's because of the uniqueness of Roland Garros, something that hasn't been seen anywhere else, and this is precisely what has led people to want to buy these shirts at staggering prices." Nadal, visibly emotional during the ceremony, was accompanied on court by his longtime rivals Roger Federer, Novak Djokovic, and Andy Murray. The day after the French Open honoured Rafael Nadal, dozens of spectators began selling the 'Merci Rafa' T-shirts handed out on Sunday, with some listings reaching up to 500 euros ($540). The shirts, featuring the phrase 'Merci Rafa' and the date '25.05.2025,' were distributed to fans at the ceremony on Court Philippe-Chatrier to celebrate the 14-time French Open champion. The T-shirts, in various shades of clay, formed a giant mosaic in the stands spelling out 'RG14,' a reference to Nadal's 14 titles in Paris. Within minutes of the event, listings appeared on resale platforms like Vinted, which had 30 shirts listed by Monday. One seller, Maxime Berthuis, priced his shirt at 500 euros, excluding shipping fees. 'I'm not going to wear the T-shirt anyway," Berthuis told The Associated Press, mentioning he bought his ticket for less than 40 euros ($43). 'Honestly, I don't know how I'll spend the money yet." He received several offers since posting the listing and a slew of angry messages from Nadal fans. Another user listed a 2XL T-shirt for 150 euros ($170), explaining it was too big for her. Gilles Moretton said he was shocked by the high prices of the T-shirts. 'Some of the prices I saw scared me," he said on Monday. 'It's a bit sad to see people profit off the 'Merci Rafa' shirts. We weren't going to collect them after the ceremony. We created something unique, and perhaps that uniqueness explains why this is happening." Moretton added that he didn't receive a shirt himself, despite being close to Nadal during the tribute. 'I'm also looking for a T-shirt, but I'm not about to go on Vinted," he said. First Published: May 27, 2025, 09:17 IST


Economic Times
27-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Economic Times
How a free Nadal tribute T-shirt turned into a $500 resale frenzy
Rafa Nadal is cheered by the crowd during a farewell ceremony at center court Philippe-Chatrier, at the Roland-Garros stadium, in Paris. Following a heartfelt tribute to Rafael Nadal at the French Open, commemorative "Merci Rafa" T-shirts distributed to fans have surfaced on resale platforms like Vinted, with prices soaring as high as 500 euros. The French Tennis Federation president, Gilles Moretton, expressed dismay at the profiteering, highlighting the unique nature of the tribute and the unexpected market that has emerged. Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads A day after the French Open honored Rafael Nadal , dozens of spectators began selling the clay-colored " Merci Rafa " T-shirts handed out at Sunday's tribute - with some listings reaching up to 500 euros (USD540). The shirts, marked with the French phrase for " Thank You Rafa " and the date "25.05.2025," were given to fans attending the ceremony on Court Philippe-Chatrier to celebrate the 14-time French Open in varying shades of clay, the T-shirts were part of a coordinated tribute. Fans were asked to wear them, creating a giant mosaic in the stands that spelled out "RG14," a nod to Nadal's 14 titles in minutes of the event, listings began appearing on resale platforms, including the clothing marketplace Vinted, which had 30 shirts listed as of seller, Maxime Berthuis, listed his shirt for 500 euros, shipping fees excluded."I'm not going to wear the T-shirt anyway," Berthuis told The Associated Press, adding he bought a ticket to the ceremony for less than 40 euros ($43). "Honestly, I don't know how I'll spend the money yet."He said he had received several offers since posting the listing on Sunday, along with a slew of angry messages from Nadal devotees Another user who listed a 2XL size T-shirt for 150 euros ($170) said it was simply much too big for her. French Tennis Federation president Gilles Moretton said he was stunned by how much the T-shirts were being sold for."Some of the prices I saw scared me," he said on Monday. "It's a bit sad to see people profit off the Merci Rafa' shirts. We weren't going to collect them after the ceremony. We created something unique - and maybe that uniqueness explains why this is happening."Moretton said he did not receive a shirt himself, despite standing near Nadal during the tribute."I'm also looking for a T-shirt, but I'm not about to go on Vinted," he said.


Malay Mail
27-05-2025
- Sport
- Malay Mail
Emotional farewell, profitable flip: Nadal tribute T-shirts fetch big bucks online, French tennis chief calls it ‘a shame'
PARIS, May 27 — French tennis federation president Gilles Moretton says it 'is a shame' that some fans were selling the T-shirts handed out for Rafael Nadal's tribute at conline. Organisers gave all 15,000 people at Court Philippe Chatrier for a ceremony celebrating Nadal's career on Sunday free T-shirts printed with the words 'merci, Rafa'. The different colours spelt out the message '14 RG, Rafa', referencing Nadal's record 14 French Open titles. The simple orange or white T-shirts, also including the date '25/05/2025', were listed for sale on websites including Vinted and Leboncoin for prices ranging from 150 euros (US$170) to 500 euros (US$569). 'What do you want me to say, that we shouldn't have made them?,' Moretton told a press conference on Monday. 'Some people are trying to make money out of it, with the 'Merci Rafa', the 'Thank You Rafa'. 'It's a bit of a shame, but we did not think of getting the T-shirts back at the end of the ceremony, that wouldn't have been right. 'I really appreciated the fact that about 98 percent of people wore the T-shirts to pay tribute to Rafa. 'It is because of the uniqueness of Roland Garros, something that hasn't been seen anywhere else, and this is precisely what has led people to want to buy these shirts at staggering prices.' Nadal fought back tears during the emotional ceremony and was joined on court by old rivals Roger Federer, Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray. — AFP


Time of India
27-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Time of India
How a free Nadal tribute T-shirt turned into a $500 resale frenzy
Live Events (You can now subscribe to our (You can now subscribe to our Economic Times WhatsApp channel A day after the French Open honored Rafael Nadal , dozens of spectators began selling the clay-colored " Merci Rafa " T-shirts handed out at Sunday's tribute - with some listings reaching up to 500 euros (USD540). The shirts, marked with the French phrase for " Thank You Rafa " and the date "25.05.2025," were given to fans attending the ceremony on Court Philippe-Chatrier to celebrate the 14-time French Open in varying shades of clay, the T-shirts were part of a coordinated tribute. Fans were asked to wear them, creating a giant mosaic in the stands that spelled out "RG14," a nod to Nadal's 14 titles in minutes of the event, listings began appearing on resale platforms, including the clothing marketplace Vinted, which had 30 shirts listed as of seller, Maxime Berthuis, listed his shirt for 500 euros, shipping fees excluded."I'm not going to wear the T-shirt anyway," Berthuis told The Associated Press, adding he bought a ticket to the ceremony for less than 40 euros ($43). "Honestly, I don't know how I'll spend the money yet."He said he had received several offers since posting the listing on Sunday, along with a slew of angry messages from Nadal devotees Another user who listed a 2XL size T-shirt for 150 euros ($170) said it was simply much too big for her. French Tennis Federation president Gilles Moretton said he was stunned by how much the T-shirts were being sold for."Some of the prices I saw scared me," he said on Monday. "It's a bit sad to see people profit off the Merci Rafa' shirts. We weren't going to collect them after the ceremony. We created something unique - and maybe that uniqueness explains why this is happening."Moretton said he did not receive a shirt himself, despite standing near Nadal during the tribute."I'm also looking for a T-shirt, but I'm not about to go on Vinted," he said.