'He wants to leave…,' Tournament director reveals reason behind cancelation of farewell ceremony for Rafael Nadal at Roland Garros

As you can imagine, we had something planned for him. But he wants to leave the door open, so we’re not going to push him to do anything. It’s his decision when he wants to have a proper ceremony or proper goodbye and proper farewell. So we’re not going to do it this year. Amelie Mauresmo said during a press conference 

Nadal is unseeded in the tournament and for the first time, he will be playing a Grand Slam event without a seeding since 2005. To avoid causing any problems by “giving protection to some player“, the organizers decided not to award a seeding to the 14-time French Open champion. 

Rafael Nadal is ready to face one of the toughest opponents

Rafael Nadal is handed a tough draw as he plays Alexander Zverev in the first round. The World No.4 has landed in Paris following his second Italian Open title after beating Nicolas Jarry 6-4, 7-5 in the final.

Amidst top contenders’ struggles with fitness and form, Zverev is considered a favorite to win the coveted title. Nadal said he is finding the match against Zverev a tough one but is ready to beat him.

Of course, on paper, it is not the best draw. I play against one of the toughest opponents possible, and at the same time, he came here winning the last event and it's the Masters 1000. It's not a small one. So what can I do? That's the draw. Just try to be ready for it. Rafael Nadal said at a press conference 

Nadal leads the head-to-head record 7-3 against Zverev, last beating him in the 2022 Roland Garros semifinals. In that match, the 37-year-old received a walkover after Zverev severely injured his ankle. 

The Spaniard then went on to beat Casper Ruud in the final to lift his 14th title in Paris and his 22nd Grand Slam trophy. That was also the last time Nadal won a Grand Slam title.