Roland Garros To Pay Tribute To 14-Time Champion Rafael Nadal

Roland Garros will pay tribute to its greatest champion with a ceremony for the retired Rafael Nadal on Sunday, while Aryna Sabalenka gets her French Open campaign up and running on the opening day of the tournament. Nadal, the record 14-time champion on the Paris clay, retired from tennis last November after an illustrious career. He returns to Court Philippe Chatrier a year after suffering a first-round exit at the hands of Alexander Zverev in what proved to be his final French Open.

The Spaniard finished with a remarkable 112-4 win-loss record at Roland Garros, dominating the tournament since winning the title on his debut in 2005.

Nadal hung up his racquet following the 2024 Davis Cup Finals in Malaga, initially denying him an opportunity to wave goodbye to his adoring fans in Paris.

His tally of 14 victories at a single Grand Slam appears unlikely to be beaten, with Margaret Court's 11 Australian Open titles second on the all-time list.

Nadal's heir apparent Carlos Alcaraz will start his title defence next week as a slight favourite to become the first man to lift the Coupe des Mousquetaires since his compatriot's retirement.

Victory over world number one Jannik Sinner in last weekend's Italian Open final gave Alcaraz the second seeding for Roland Garros.

That raises the possibility of the world's top two players meeting in a Grand Slam final for the very first time on June 8.

"I think for the people, for the tennis fans, I think it's great to have a match-up from some players that make them excited about watching that match," Alcaraz told his pre-tournament press conference of his budding rivalry with Sinner.

"I think for the people and probably the people who don't like watching tennis, I think (our rivalry) is