The French Open pays tribute to 14-time champion Rafael Nadal on the first day of the Grand Slam, a year after the Spaniards played their final match on Roland Garros’ clay, organizers said Thursday.
Nadal suffered at his earliest French open exit after his first round defeat to Alexander Zverev last year, but he did not say that his worshipping Paris fans were the last time he saw him acting in the majors.
The 22-time Grand Slam champion will eventually retreat to his happiest hunting grounds to celebrate his achievements after representing Spain in the Davis Cup in November.
“Rafa made history with Roland Garros, and his 14 titles are probably unparalleled,” tournament director and two-time Grand Slam champion Amelie Mauresmo told reporters. “The ceremony in honor of Rafa will be held at the end of the day session at the Court Philip Chatrier on May 25th.
“The idea is to celebrate people who have a vision for the future and have excited us in the past.”
Nadal has already climbed the statue into the alley of the Grand Slam on Clay Court. He will also appear at exhibitions at the Tournament Museum and lend his voice to the official French Open Trailer.
“We wanted to give a compliment last year for transparency, but he refused at the time,” Mauresmo said. “He wasn’t sure it was his last Roland Garros.
The French Open said it would honor 2000 women’s champion Mary Pierce and local favourite Richard Gasquet.
The total prize money for the May 25th to June 8th tournament is set at 56.352 million euros ($6411 million), an increase of 5.21% from 2024, Mauresmo said.
The massive pay hike at the Grand Slam, in a recent letter to four majors, has been at the heart of the demands of the world’s top players, and the French Open has been held to constructive meetings.
Meanwhile, Chief Zilz Moretton of the French Tennis Federation said that Grand Slam will not break tradition and replace Line Judges with electronic calls despite other majors accepting technology more widely.
Wimbledon will adopt an electronic line call this year, taking part in the US Open and Australian Open.
Roland Garros does not support similar movements despite the availability of claycourt-specific electronic line call technology, as traces left by the ball on the surface help to make decisions.
“We think it’s right to keep the judges and linemen at Roland Garros. The Federation wants to keep the judges as long as possible,” Morton said. “I hope we can maintain that in future tournaments.”
Organizers are also planning to build on the success of the 2024 Parisio Games by setting up a fan zone with a huge screen that shows matches. Located in the Dela Concorde location in central Paris, the venue is free and open to up to 5,000 fans.
“I saw an incredible vibe in Paris last summer and I’m going to surf about this success,” Mauremo said.
Reuters and the Associated Press contributed to the report.