By Chris Oddo | @TheFanChild | Thursday April 17, 2025
Mark your calendars. Roland-Garros will honor the legacy of its greatest champion on Sunday May 25th, as the tournament will host a ceremony to honor Rafael Nadal on Court Philippe Chatrier.
And the King of Clay – he of the 112-4 lifetime record and 14 titles on the Parisian clay – is fully on board.
That wasn’t the case last year, when Nadal lost to Alexander Zverev in the opening round and still wasn’t sure how long he would prolong his career.
“Today is not a moment to analyze all these kind of things. It’s a moment just to keep going,” Nadal said at the time.
Celebrating the King.
25.05.25 pic.twitter.com/ZO3AnPSHOr
— Roland-Garros (@rolandgarros) April 17, 2025
To mark Rafa’s first season post-retirement, a ceremony will take place following the conclusion of the day session on Day 1 of the tournament. Additionally, an immersive exhibit dedicated to Nadal will also run for the duration of the tournament at the Roland-Garros Tenniseum.
“We wanted to do the tribute last year, to be transparent, but he refused at the time,” Mauresmo said. “He wasn’t sure that it was his last Roland Garros. Now that he is retired, he is happy to receive it.”
The tournament will also honor Mary Pierce on the 25th anniversary of her triumph in singles and doubles.
The ceremony will take place on June 5, between women’s semi-finals, and will feature the presentation of the ring signifying Pierce’s acceptance into the International Tennis Hall of Fame.
