What Rafael Nadal said when his French Open match was halted because of ‘rowdy’ boos in 2005

Rafael Nadal was not happy with the Roland Garros crowd in 2005

Nadal eventually found a way to defeat Grosjean after the delay, toppling the popular Frenchman in four sets.

Despite confirming his place in the quarter-final of his favourite Grand Slam, Nadal was not happy with the crowd reaction.

Speaking after the match, the future King of Clay said: “The crowd did not behave well at all, but this is France, and what they did was a silly thing.

“I have never seen that happen in Spain. The umpire was absolutely right, but then the crowd got rowdy and started whistling.

“I think we should have gone back to the changing room until the crowd quietened down but instead we waited for 10 minutes. It really did make me lose my concentration.”

Nadal brushed off the setback with the crowd to win his maiden Roland Garros crown after defeating Mariano Puerta in the final.

Rafael Nadal’s relationship with the Roland Garros crowd improved dramatically

Nadal would eventually become one of the most popular players in Roland Garros history, thanks to his record 14 victories at the Grand Slam.

A mutual respect developed between Nadal and the fans at the French tournament, which was accentuated when the King of Clay played his last event in 2024.

Speaking after his first-round loss to Alexander Zverev, Nadal said: “If it’s the last time, I’ve enjoyed it. It’s hard for me to speak, I don’t know if it will be the last time I’ll be here in front of all of you.

“The feelings I’ve had here have been truly unforgettable. Thank you from the bottom of my heart.”

Nadal returned to the venue one final time a month later, to compete at the 2024 Paris Olympics. Nadal teamed with Carlos Alcaraz in the men’s doubles, but their campaign against Austin Krajicek and Rajeev Ram.