Tennis legend Rafael Nadal is set to make an emotional return to Roland Garros for the French Open 2025 as confirmed by the tournament organisers. Although he officially retired from professional tennis in November last year after competing in the Davis Cup this year’s French Open will see the 22-time Grand Slam winner receive a grand tribute at the venue where he made history.
Organisers have planned a special celebration on the opening day of the tournament to honour the ‘King of Clay’ for his incredible contributions to the sport and his unmatched dominance on the Parisian clay courts. French Open tournament director Amelie Mauresmo made the announcement during a pre-tournament press briefing held in Paris. According to an official post by Roland Garros the tribute ceremony for Nadal will take place on Sunday May 25 on the iconic Court Philippe-Chatrier following the completion of the three day session matches.
Originally the 14-time French Open champion was expected to receive a farewell ceremony during last year’s edition of the tournament following his first-round loss to Alexander Zverev. However Nadal chose to defer the gesture as he remained uncertain about his future in the sport and wanted to keep the door open for a potential return to competitive tennis.
Nadal did return to Stade Roland Garros a few months later to participate in the Olympic Games where he faced an early exit in singles after losing to Novak Djokovic and reached the doubles quarterfinals alongside Carlos Alcaraz. He eventually decided to retire later in 2024 but not before giving his fans one last glimpse of his brilliance.
The 2025 French Open will not only celebrate Nadal’s iconic legacy but will also pay tribute to other tennis greats. French tennis star Richard Gasquet who is set to retire will be honoured with a special ceremony after his final match in front of his home crowd. Additionally French legend Mary Pierce will be commemorated for the 25th anniversary of her French Open title win and for her recent induction into the International Tennis Hall of Fame.
These celebrations promise to make the upcoming French Open an emotionally charged event filled with respect memories and recognition for some of tennis’ greatest players.
