CNN
—
Few athletes have become more synonymous with a single event than Rafael Nadal and the French Open.
The Spaniard won a record 14 titles at the clay-court grand slam during his illustrious career and Roland Garros gave its legendary champion one last special goodbye on Sunday.
The 38-year-old, who retired from tennis last year, was honored during an emotional ceremony at the start of this year’s event and Nadal couldn’t hide his emotion.
Thousands of fans, many wearing custom red tops with the message “Merci Rafa” written on them, greeted Nadal with a standing ovation as he walked out onto Court Philippe-Chatrier.
A montage of Nadal’s highlights at the tournament then began playing on the big screens, leaving the 22-time grand slam champion with tears in his eyes.
“This is tough,” Nadal said in French, as he started his emotional speech.
“I don’t know where to start after playing on this court for the past 20 years. Winning, losing, but especially being moved every time I’ve had the chance to be here.”
Nadal went on to speak in both English and Spanish as he reminisced about his experiences playing at this event for the last 20 years, after making his debut as an 18-year-old.
He finished with a stunning 112-4 record at the grand slam, winning all 14 of the finals he played on Court Philippe-Chatrier, somewhere he described as, “without doubt, the most important tennis court of my career.”
Nadal’s voice then began to break as he thanked his team for supporting him over the years, notably his uncle Toni, who served as his main coach for much time.
With emotions running high, Nadal was then joined by three of the biggest rivals during his career: Roger Federer, Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray.
All four embraced in the middle of the court before Nadal thanked his three friends for all their support.
“We showed the world that we can fight as hard as possible, but being good colleagues and respecting each other very well. And for me, it means a lot that you are all here,” Nadal said.
“You gave me some hard times on court, honestly, but I really enjoyed pushing myself to the limit every single day to compete with all of you.”
The near 50-minute ceremony ended with Nadal being presented with a plaque of his footprint, which will now be a permanent feature of the court.
He was then joined by his two-year-old son as he waved to his adoring fans one last time.
“I can no longer play in front of you anymore, but my heart and my memories will always be linked to this magical place,” he said.
This year’s French Open kicked off with the first round on Sunday, with no major upsets yet.
Spanish star Carlos Alcaraz, who many see as the heir to Nadal’s throne, is in action on Monday against Italian Giulio Zeppieri. Alcaraz, 22, was in the crowd to bid farewell to his hero on Sunday.
