'Merci Rafa': Roland Garros pays tribute to Nadal's reign
PARIS :Roland Garros opened with tears, chants and a sea of brick-red T-shirts reading 'Merci Rafa' as the French Open paid an emotional tribute on Sunday to Rafael Nadal, the man who conquered its courts like no other.
On the anniversary of the day he first walked on to the court 20 years ago for a second-round match against Xavier Malisse, Nadal returned as a hero to be celebrated by a crowd that has always embraced him as one of their own.
As part of the moving ceremony, organisers unveiled a permanent tribute — Nadal’s footprint set into the clay of Court Philippe Chatrier, a lasting mark to honour the 14-times champion who retired from tennis last year.
Ten thousand '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'.
As 6 p.m. ticked past, the crowd sent Mexican waves rippling through the stadium, chanting “Rafa! Rafa!” and warming up to the tune of “Stayin’ Alive” by the Bee Gees — a nod to the fighting spirit that defined the Spaniard’s career.
Then, dressed in a sleek black suit and shirt, Nadal appeared to a standing ovation.
He quietly watched a short film retracing his French Open story, leaning on a lectern, while, in the stands, a woman was seen wiping tears from her partner’s cheeks. Tennis stars Carlos Alcaraz and Iga Swiatek stood shoulder to shoulder with the crowd, both wearing the tribute shirt.
When the film ended, a three-minute ovation swelled up and tears rolled down Nadal's cheeks.
"Merci beaucoup," he began in French, his voice cracking. “I don't know where to start after playing on that court for the last 20 years, after enjoying, suffering, winning, losing and especially