Chatrier, only instead of competing, he was going to be feted by the French tennis federation for all that he accomplished on the red clay.

Rafael Nadal already has a statue at Roland Garros. That's what happens when you win the French Open a mind-boggling 14 times. But the clay court GOAT will be honored again on Sunday after Day 1 of the matches at the 2025 French Open are concluded.

Rafa won the last title of his glorious career at Roland Garros in 2022, when he defeated Casper Ruud in the final despite the condition of his foot being very precarious and he was forced to anesthetize it in order to participate in the tournament.

A ceremony honoring 14-time French Open champion Rafael Nadal has started Sunday at Court Philippe-Chatrier, the stadium where he won a record 14 championships at the clay-court Grand Slam tournament.

Thousands of fans strolled through the Roland Garros gates on a windy Sunday morning hoping to catch a glimpse of Spanish great Rafa Nadal, whose glittering career will be celebrated on the opening day of the French Open.

The second of tennis' Grand Slam events gets underway on May 25 with the start of the French Open. The clay-court tournament is one where a slower surface speed puts an emphasis on the ability to win extended rallies and play off the baseline rather than relying on a dominant serve.

With Rafael Nadal's retirement and Iga Swiatek's struggles, the French Open enters a period of uncertainty. Several contenders, including Carlos Alcaraz, Alexander Zverev, and Novak Djokovic, vie for the men's title.

Rafael Nadal is set to receive a very special tribute at Roland Garros tomorrow, certainly better than the one he had reserved for himself on the day of his retirement at the Davis Cup Finals in Malaga on November 19, 2024.