Rafael Nadal Confirms Shocking French Open Comeback After Injury Setback—All the Details

Rafael Nadal received an emotional farewell at Roland-Garros today, as the 14-time champion was honored during Day 1 of the 2025 French Open in a ceremony that reunited the entire “Big Four.” Court Philippe-Chatrier erupted when Roger Federer, Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray joined Nadal at mid-court, celebrating the man who turned Parisian clay into his personal kingdom for two decades. H2: A send-off fit for the King of Clay • More than 15,000 spectators waved red-and-yellow Spanish flags as tournament director Amélie Mauresmo presented Nadal with a replica of the Coupe des Mousquetaires, engraved with his record-setting 14 victories. • Video tributes from Carlos Alcaraz, Iga Świątek and global sports icons played on the big screen, each praising Nadal’s trademark grit and humility. • The Mallorcan fought back tears while thanking fans in French, Spanish and English, saying, “Roland-Garros will forever be home.” H2: Career milestones highlighted Nadal retires with 22 Grand Slam singles titles, 92 ATP trophies and an astonishing 112-3 match record on Parisian clay, including seven seasons in which he did not drop a set. His 81-match clay-court win streak (2005-07) remains the longest single-surface run in the Open Era. H2: What’s next for Nadal? Although lingering hip and foot injuries ended his playing days, Nadal confirmed he will continue mentoring players at the Rafa Nadal Academy in Manacor and plans to captain Spain in future Davis Cup editions. He also hinted at a potential coaching collaboration for the 2028 Olympics, keeping him firmly in the sport’s spotlight. H2: Impact on the 2025 French Open draw With Nadal absent from the main draw for only the second time since 2005, bookmakers have installed world No. 1 Jannik Sinner and defending champion Carlos Alcaraz as co-favorites. Organizers reshuffled the Day 1 schedule to accommodate the ceremony, pushing marquee matches into the evening session and giving broadcasters a prime-time audience boost. H2: Legacy cemented From his sleeveless-shirt swagger in 2005 to Sunday’s tear-stained farewell, Nadal’s Roland-Garros journey rewrote the record books and inspired a generation of baseline grinders. As Federer told the crowd, “We may never see dominance like this again.” The statue of Nadal outside Court Philippe-Chatrier stands as a permanent reminder that, on red clay, he was unrivaled.