Nadal returns to Roland Garros! The French Open will hold a tribute ceremony for the king of clay

On April 17, local time, the 2025 French Open tennis tournament held a pre-match press conference, revealing many highlights of this year's event, the most eye-catching and anticipated of which is undoubtedly the tribute ceremony of the "King of Clay" Nadal. The ceremony will take place at the Stade Philippe Chartier after the third matinee match on May 25 (the first day of the main event), when Nadal will bid farewell to the global audience on the red court that he has ruled for nearly 20 years. In addition, during this year's French Open, there will be an exhibition at the Tennis Museum at Roland Garros to celebrate Nadal's illustrious career.

The French Open released a film-quality short film today, documenting Nadal's growth from a young boy to a 14-time French Open champion, with the caption "Rafael Nadal & Roland Garros, this is a love story that began in 2005 but never ends." ”

Rafael Nadal burst into tears at the Davis Cup retirement ceremony

In the 2024 Davis Cup Finals in mid-November last year, Nadal, who represented Spain, ushered in the curtain call of his career, and finally the Spanish team lost to the Netherlands in the quarterfinals to stop the quarterfinals. The tournament organizing committee held a retirement ceremony for Nadal after the match, but many people said that the ceremony was too "shabby". Serbian star Novak Djokovic revealed that he and Murray had planned to travel to Malaga on the semi-final day to attend the ceremony, but the Spanish team was unable to make the trip early. The duo, who have become mentors and apprentices this season, are expected to make up for their regrets at this year's French Open and witness the glory of their old rivals.

In 2022, Nadal won the French Open for the last time

Nadal has won the French Open 14 times, the most in history, and his record at the French Open is an astonishing 112-4. In 2005, at the age of 19, Nadal made his maiden Grand Slam title at the French Open, and by beating Ruud in the final of the 2022 French Open to win his last Grand Slam title, the Spanish king left an unprecedented record of 14 titles at Roland Garros. Nadal's final match at the French Open was a three-set loss to Zverev in the first round of men's singles last year.

(Text, Editor/Faye Wong, Photo/Visual China)