Fans, rivals celebrate Rafael Nadal with French Open ceremony - ESPN

PARIS — Rafael Nadal said he's at peace with his decision to retire and hasn't touched a tennis racket in seven months as he bid farewell to Roland Garros during an emotional ceremony at the French Open on Sunday.

Nadal thanked fans in a packed Court Philippe-Chatrier for their support, as Roger Federer, Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray joined the on-court celebration. Carlos Alcaraz, Iga Swiatek, Carlos Moya and Juan Carlos Ferrero were among those watching from the stands, with the crowd of 15,000 wearing T-shirts with «Merci Rafa» printed on them.

Nadal was honored with a permanent plaque of his footprint next to a net post on court.

«When I saw that, I thought was going to be just for this year,» Nadal said. «Knowing that's going to be forever there, it's a present that I can't describe in words.»

Nadal retired last November after a career that saw him win 22 Grand Slam titles. Fourteen of those came at Roland Garros — with his first in 2005 and his last in 2022. He already had a statue honoring him on the grounds before he played his final match at the tournament last year, but this was his chance to bid farewell to the place he calls «the most important tennis court of my career.»

«I am having fun,» Nadal said of his retirement. «I don't miss much tennis, because I feel that I've given all what I had. I arrive today with the peace that I can't be on court. You know, my body doesn't allow me to be on court. So that's all. I am at peace.

»I did all what I could to have the best career possible, and now I am enjoying this new phase of my life that I am sure [is] going to be less exciting than the tennis career because the adrenaline that the sports gives to you I think it's impossible to find in other things in life.