Illustration of Rafael Nadal foot footprints during the tribute to Rafael Nadal during the 2025 French Open at Roland Garros on May 25, 2025, in Paris, France. Sipa Press

Rafael Nadal leaves footprint in tribute at French Open

By Clark Dalton | Last updated May 25, 2025 5:55 PM ET

After Day 1 of the French Open on Sunday, Rafael Nadal bid farewell to Court Philippe-Chatrier, where he dominated throughout his career.

Nadal, who announced his retirement in October 2024, won a record 14 singles titles at Roland-Garros in Paris. He left his footprint on the event, and thus, he was honored with a plaque commemorating it.

"When I saw that, I thought that was going to be just for this year," Nadal told fans in French. "Knowing that's going to be forever there, it's a present that I can't describe in words."

The greatest ever to grace our clay.#RolandGarros pic.twitter.com/5np4tHMdZk
— Roland-Garros (@rolandgarros) May 25, 2025

Along with the plaque, a tribute video for the 38-year-old Spaniard was played, showcasing his highlights at the French Open. He fought tears throughout the short film.

What a tribute to Nadal #RolandGarros pic.twitter.com/hfSPwV2lUa
— Tennis Channel (@TennisChannel) May 25, 2025

At the end of the ceremony, Nadal thanked his biggest rivals — Roger Federer, Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray — for attending.

"For me, it means a lot that all of you are here," Nadal said. "Tennis is just a game. Sometimes we feel a little bit more, but I think we understand at the end of the day that it's really only a game. That all of you are here is everything. That's a great message to the world that we can be good friends even if we had the best rivalries."

According to Howard Fendrich of the Associated Press, Nadal made his French Open debut on May 25, 2005. It seems fitting that 20 years after that day, the king of the French Open was enthroned.

Clark Dalton

Dalton is a 2022 journalism graduate of the University of Texas at Austin. He gained experience in sports media over the past seven years — from live broadcasting and creating short films to podcasting and producing. In college, he wrote for The Daily Texan. He loves sports and enjoys hiking, kayaking and camping.

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