Watch: Rafael Nadal arrives at Roland Garros for tribute ceremony

Roland Garros will honour Rafael Nadal in a special ceremony, which will be attended by his former peers.

Rafael Nadal has arrived in Paris and will be honoured by the organisers. The ceremony will take place on the first day of the clay Grand Slam, with Roger Federer, Andy Murray, and Novak Djokovic expected to attend the event.

The 14-time champion arrived at the Stade Roland Garros in a black car with his wife, Maria Francisca Perello, and son, Rafael Jr, as photographers and managerial staff followed him.

Nadal has solidified his place as the greatest player in the history of the French Open. With 14 titles in his kitty, the former tennis star has won more titles than any other player since the inception of the tournament. He won consecutive French Open titles between 2005 and 2008, 2011 and 2015, and 2017 and 2022, with the final accolade coming in 2022.

Also Read: All Spanish players who have lifted French Open title

He also holds a 6-0 winning record against Roger Federer in the French Open. Nadal defeated the Swiss legend in the summit clash in 2006, 2007, 2008 and 2011. Interestingly, only Novak Djokovic has defeated Nadal twice in the French Open.

Rafael Nadal was initially expected to retire at the 2024 French Open. However, it was later revealed that the former Spanish tennis star wanted to represent his nation at the 2024 Paris Olympics, which were also played in Paris. Nadal later decided to play a few more matches and hung up his boots at the 2024 Davis Cup Finals.

Before last year’s Roland Garros, Nadal’s record at the Parisian clay was 112-3. However, a fourth loss was added to the list after a returning Rafael Nadal came up short against eventual runner-up Alexander Zverev. Thus, the event has decided to honour its hero this year with a special ceremony at Court Philippe-Chatrier. The event has been named “Celebrating the King.”

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