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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
eNCA
27-05-2025
- Sport
- eNCA
Nadal T-shirt resales 'a shame', says French tennis boss
FRANCE - 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 Roland Garros online. 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 ($170) to 500 euros ($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."
