French Open gearing up for ‘exceptional’ tribute to Rafael Nadal after he refused the same last year

Rafael Nadal last lifted the French Open in 2022 with a straight-set win over Casper Ruud was knocked out of the first round last year.

French Open gearing up for ‘exceptional’ tribute to Rafael Nadal after he refused the same last year

Rafael Nadal (Image via Game, Set & Talk)

Rafael Nadal made an emotional comeback to the Roland Garros last year after a long injury layoff. At that time, when the entire tennis world was discussing his retirement, he refused a tribute ceremony at the French Open because he didn’t know whether he played there for the last time.

In his first round itself, the 14-time French Open champion unsurprisingly succumbed to a straight-set defeat to World No.3 Alexander Zverev. He then won two singles tournaments: the Swedish Open and the Paris Olympics, following which, he dropped the retirement announcement, sending shockwaves across the tennis world.

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He ended the most remarkable chapter of his life at the Davis Cup as Spain lost the quarterfinal tie against the Netherlands. But the tournament was criticized by some, including his uncle and former coach Toni Nadal, as they felt the ceremony lacked grandeur. This year, however, French Open tournament director Amelie Mauresmo said that Nadal will be honored with a special tribute on May 25th on Court Philippe-Chatrier.

Rafa has left his mark on the history of the French Open in so many ways, that’s why a tribute ceremony will be held in his honor. We want the tribute to be special, exceptional. We want it to be a surprise for everyone. We wanted to do the tribute last year, to be transparent, but he refused at the time. He wasn’t sure that it was his last Roland Garros. Now that he is retired, he is happy to receive it.

Amelie Mauresmo said at the 2025 edition of the Roland Garros press conference

The 22-time Grand Slam champion last won the French Open in 2022 with a straight-set victory over Casper Ruud. It ended up being the 38-year-old’s last Grand Slam title as the following season, his hip injury at the Australian Open forced him to stay on the sidelines for the rest of the season.

Casper Ruud says Rafael Nadal’s retirement doesn’t make it easier for him to win the French Open

Now that Rafael Nadal has retired, the tennis world will expect to see more new champions at the French Open. Casper Ruud is one of the contenders, having reached the final twice: in 2022 and 2023, losing both to Nadal and Novak Djokovic, respectively. But he doesn’t feel Nadal’s absence will make it easier for him to win the French Open.

Casper Ruud
Casper Ruud (Image via X/ATP)

I don’t know how it feels to win at Roland Garros, but I’ve played in two finals and I know it’s going to be difficult whether Rafa is there or not. It’s clear that statistically, it’s going to be easier to win in Paris because Rafa has done it 14 times. We’ve all lost to him at some point.

Casper Ruud told Marca

Ruud pointed out that there are several players who can win the French Open like Carlos Alcaraz, Alexander Zverev, Jannik Sinner, and Stefanos Tsitsipas. Among the names the Norwegian mentioned, only the Spaniard was successful in the clay-court Major by beating Zverev in five sets last season.

Sinner, who is currently serving his three-month doping ban, has never made it to the final. Last year, he progressed to the semifinals only to lost in five sets to Alcaraz. Tsitsipas, on the other hand, played the final in 2021 but lost the match to Djokovic.

Ruud, Alcaraz, and Tsitsipas are currently participating at the Barcelona where they have reached the quarterfinals. Zverev is in Munich for the BMW Open, where he too reached the last eight stage. Sinner, after his ban, which will be lifted on May 4 will be making his comeback at the Italian Open.