Rafael Nadal received a beautiful tribute at his farewell to Roland Garros. The footprint of the fourteen-time winner of the tournament in Paris has been immortalized on Court Philippe Chatrier.
Nadal was in the spotlight on the first day of the Grand Slam tournament. The 38-year-old Spaniard addressed some 15,000 spectators at Court Philippe Chatrier and received a special trophy from tournament director Amélie Mauresmo with his fourteen victories engraved on it.
Then, a special tile was unveiled next to the net, with Nadal’s footprint. It caused emotions for the Spaniard, who reigned on the gravel in Paris for almost two decades. Nadal was then hugged by his great rivals Novak Djokovic, Roger Federer and Andy Murray, who were also present at the homage.
Nadal won the title immediately at his Roland Garros debut in 2005. Since then, he has been allowed to hold up the trophy thirteen more times. In total, Nadal won 22 Grand Slam tournaments.