'Big Four' gather as Rafael Nadal honored at Roland Garros

Back on the clay court Sunday where his legend was cemented, Rafael Nadal was saluted at Roland Garros by a capacity crowd and three fellow greats of the game.

A 14-time French Open winner from Spain, Nadal was given a farewell ceremony in Paris in one more must-see event on center court where he won his first title in 2005 and his 14th and final one in 2022.

There to join him for the festivities were Roger Federer, Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray. The quartet has combined for 69 grand slam titles and 18 French Open titles.

"I have had incredible rivals - like Andy, Novak and of course Roger - and many others who pushed me to my physical and mental limits," Nadal told the crowd, and his former rivals, while fighting back his emotions. "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."

Nadal won three French Open titles while defeating Federer in the championship match and finished his career at the tournament with a staggering 112-4 record.

What has changed for Nadal most of all in retirement is that when he sees his rivals now, there is a sense of appreciation for the road they have traveled instead of the competitive energy that enveloped their previous interactions.

"Now it is all about being happy about everything that we achieved," Nadal said. "In the end we all achieved our dreams. We became tennis players and played in the most important stages. I think we built amazing rivalries and in a good way. I think we showed the world we could fight as hard as possible but in a good way. Good colleagues, who respect each other.

"You gave me some hard times on courts but I really enjoyed it a lot, pushing myself to the limit every day to compete with all of you. At the end, tennis is just a game but we understand that at the end, it is only a game. So all of you here means everything. It is a great message to the world that we can be good friends even if we had the best rivalries."