PARIS — Rafael Nadal mentioned he is at peace together with his determination to retire and hasn’t touched a tennis racket in seven months as he bid farewell to Roland Garros throughout an emotional ceremony on the French Open on Sunday.
Nadal thanked followers in a packed Court docket Philippe-Chatrier for his or her help, as Roger Federer, Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray joined the on-court celebration. Carlos Alcaraz, Iga Swiatek, Carlos Moya and Juan Carlos Ferrero had been amongst these watching on from the stands, with the gang of 15,000 robust all carrying T-shirts with “Merci Rafa” printed on them.
Nadal was honored with a everlasting plaque of his footprint subsequent to the web publish on court docket.
“After I noticed that, I believed was going to be only for this 12 months,” Nadal mentioned. “Figuring out that is going to be endlessly there, it is a current that I can not describe in phrases.”
Nadal retired in November 2024 after an unimaginable profession which noticed him win 22 Grand Slam titles. Remarkably, 14 of these got here at Roland Garros — together with his first in 2005 and final in 2022. He already had a statue honoring him on the grounds earlier than he performed his last match on the event final 12 months, however this was his likelihood to bid farewell to the place he calls “crucial tennis court docket of my profession.”
“I’m having enjoyable,” Nadal mentioned of his retirement. “I do not miss a lot tennis, as a result of I really feel that I’ve given all what I had. I arrive right this moment with the peace that I can not be on court docket. , my physique does not enable me to be on court docket. In order that’s all. I’m at peace.
“I did all what I might to have the very best profession attainable, and now I’m having fun with this new part of my life, that I’m positive [is] going to be much less thrilling than the tennis profession, as a result of the adrenaline that the sports activities provides to you, I believe it is not possible to search out in different issues in life. However that does not imply I am gonna be much less pleased. I will be happier with much less adrenaline and caring for various things.”
Nadal, Murray, Djokovic and Federer all drove one another to exceptional ranges within the sport, and Nadal mentioned he hopes the world can study from how they dealt with their rivalry.
“To have my three largest rivals there on the court docket with me meant so much,” Nadal mentioned. “On the identical time, it is an important message for the world, I believe, that finest rivals — hardest rivalries most likely within the historical past of our sport — are capable of be good colleagues, to respect one another. You need not hate the opponent to attempt to beat him with all of your forces.
“And that is the message that I believe we confirmed individuals, we confirmed the brand new generations. In a roundabout way, that is our legacy. The outcomes are there, however on the identical time the outcomes are simply outcomes. [Relationships] keep the identical.”
Nadal mentioned he’d misplaced contact with Murray, solely to see a textual content message pop up on his cellphone after Arsenal knocked out Actual Madrid from the Champions League earlier this season.
“The message learn: ‘Hey, Rafa, have not spoken to you shortly. Simply checking in to be sure to are OK.’ Actually, it took me like 5 seconds to comprehend what I used to be studying, as a result of originally, I mentioned, ‘OK, he is such a pleasant man. He is asking about how I am doing, household.’ After 5 seconds, I mentioned, ‘That is the British humorousness.'”
Central to Nadal’s farewell was the theme of the significance of household. His former coach and uncle Toni Nadal was in attendance on the ceremony alongside Rafa’s spouse Maria and their son Rafael.
Nadal was requested whether or not he desires his son to observe in his footsteps and make the identical sacrifices he did to succeed in such ranges within the sport.
“If my son lives the tennis profession the way in which that I lived, after all, sure. As a result of, as you talked about about sacrifices, I by no means had that feeling, ,” mentioned Nadal, who mentioned he’ll play exhibition matches in some unspecified time in the future sooner or later. “I by no means had the sensation that I misplaced part of my life to develop into skilled.
“So as an instance if my son feels that approach, I’ll help him. I do not suppose [that’s] gonna be the case, however I’ll help him on something that he desires to do.”
As he bid farewell to Roland Garros, Nadal thanked event organizers and paid tribute to the love that the Parisian crowd has confirmed to him.
“Thanks, France. Thanks, Paris,” a tearful Nadal mentioned. “You gave me many feelings. I might have by no means imagined so many moments. It is improbable to really feel a lot love and appreciation right here. That’s the reason it’s crucial place for me.
“You made me really feel like one other Frenchman right here. I won’t be able to play in entrance of you once more, however my coronary heart and my reminiscences will all the time be linked to this place and these individuals. A thousand thank yous for every thing.”
