Roland Garros pays tribute to retired ‘King of Clay’ Nadal

PARIS: Rafael Nadal was given a rousing reception as the ‘King of Clay’ stepped onto Court Philippe Chatrier for the final time on Sunday in a ceremony to celebrate his career at the French Open.

The 38-year-old, who retired from tennis last November, was serenaded by the Roland Garros crowd, with spectators wearing different coloured t-shirts to create the message “14 RG, Rafa”.

Nadal dominated the French Open after winning on debut as a teenager in 2005, lifting the trophy a record-breaking 14 times.

The Spaniard finished with a remarkable 112-4 win-loss record at the clay-court Grand Slam.

He last won the title in 2022 and played his final match on the Paris clay last year when he was defeated by Alexander Zverev in the first round.