Rafael Nadal couldn’t contain his emotions after he was honoured with a special ceremony to pay homage to his legacy at the French Open.
The Spaniard was back at Roland Garros for the opening day of the iconic clay tournament on Sunday.
Nadal was greeted to a touching montage in his honour at the French OpenAFP He failed to contain his emotions during the tributeAFP The tennis legend was reduced to tears after returning to Roland GarrosGettyIncredibly, 14 of his 22 Grand Slam triumphs came in France, where he never lost in any of his final appearances.
Nadal, who has unsurprisingly won the most French Open titles, retired from tennis last year following Spain’s Davis Cup exit in November.
And there is no court that embodies the spirit of Nadal more so than Court Philippe-Chatrier, which welcomes him back with open arms on Day One of the tournament.
In a touching tribute to the 38-year-old, Nadal was treated to a montage of his career highlights at Roland Garros.
Dubbed the ‘King of Clay’, he has now been immortalised on the surface with an on-court plaque in his honour.
Along with his name, his shoe print as well as the famous trophy and the number 14 to signify the amount of titles he has won there are on show.
Even his greatest rivals in Roger Federer, Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray were present to honour the left-handed maestro.
As the fans in attendance at Court Philippe-Chatrier applauded and chanted for Nadal, the two-time Olympic gold medallist was overcome with emotion.
He could be seen wiping away tears, before giving a heartfelt speech in front of his adoring supporters.
Nadal said: “Good evening everyone, this is difficult for me. I don’t know how to start having played on this court during the past 20 years.
GettyAn on-court plaque was unveiled to pay homage to Nadal’s achievements at Roland Garros[/caption] He thanked Federer, Djokovic and Murray in his emotional speechGetty“To have enjoyed, suffered, won, lost… Above all, [I’m] emotional that I had the chance to play here.
“My infinite gratitude to Gilles [Moretton, President of French Tennis Federation], Amelie [Mauresmo, French Open tournament director] and the entire Roland Garros team for giving me the opportunity to have this farewell on without a doubt the most important tennis court in my career.
“It has been an incredible story that began back in 2004 when I came to Roland Garros for the very first time.
“I could barely walk due to my foot injury, but that year I climbed to the top of the court on my crutches.
“I dreamed of coming back the following year. In 2005, I was finally able to play here for the first time.
“I was 18 years old and my first major experience was the match that I played against my childhood friend and rival Richard Gasquet.
Nadal retired from tennis in November having won 22 Grand Slam titlesGetty“From that day on, I fully understood what Roland Garros meant. I experienced everything over these 20 years.
“I have had incredible rivals — like Andy, Novak and of course Roger — and many others who pushed me to my physical and mental limits.
“Truly nothing would be as thrilling without these long-lasting rivalries that have driven all of us to improve every single day. Roland Garros is unique.
“Not only because it is a fundamental part of history, but for all the people who work tirelessly, with a smile, to make this tournament what it is, unique.”
Turning towards Federer, Djokovic and Murray, Nadal then remarked: “For me, it means a lot that all of you are here.
“Tennis is just a game. Sometimes we feel a little bit more but I think we understand at the end of the day that it’s really only a game.
“That all of you are here is everything. That’s a great message to the world that we can be good friends even if we had the best rivalries.”
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