PARIS – A day after the French opening praised Rafael Nadal in court, dozens of spectators began selling clay-colored “Mercha Rafa” t-shirts distributed in Sunday’s tribute.
The shirt, marked with the French phrase “Thank you Rafa” and the date “25.05.2025”, was given to fans attending the courtroom ceremony to celebrate the 14th French Open Championship. The T-shirts, distributed in different shades of clay, were part of the adjusted compliment. Fans were asked to wear them and created a huge mosaic on the stand that spelled “RG14.” This nods to Nadal’s 14 titles in Paris.
Within minutes of the event, the list began to appear on resale platforms, including the clothing market, which had 30 shirts listed as of Monday.
One seller, Maxime Berthuis, listed his shirt for $570, with shipping costs being excluded.
“I’m not going to wear a T-shirt anyway,” Berthuis told The Associated Press, adding that he bought tickets to the ceremony for under $43. “To be honest, I still don’t know how to spend the money.”
He said he has received several offers since posting the listing yesterday.
Another user who listed the 2xL size T-shirt for $170 says it’s too big for her.
Jills Moreton, president of the French tennis federation, said he was surprised at how much T-shirts were on sale.
“Some of the prices I saw scared me,” he said Monday. “It’s a bit sad to see people benefit from ‘Merci Rafa’ shirts. After the ceremony we were not going to collect them. We created something unique.
Moreton said he had not received his shirt himself, despite standing just a few feet away from Nadal between his tributes.
“I’m also looking for a T-shirt, but I’m not trying to continue with Vinted,” he said.