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 an "unforgettable" 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 colored T-shirts to create the message "14 RG, Rafa".

Nadal dominated the French Open after winning on his 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.

"I don't know how to start. I've been playing on this court for 20 years. I suffered, I won, I lost. I have lived many emotions here on this court," an emotional Nadal told the crowd after watching a video of his career highlights at Roland Garros.

Nadal's family and friends watched from the player's box, along with many of his former coaching staff, including his uncle Toni.

"It has been unforgettable, plenty of emotions for a guy like me that doesn't love these kinds of things, because I'm still a little bit shy for all this stuff," Nadal told reporters.

"I don't much like being the center of attention for these things. It was enough when I was playing tennis. But, I enjoyed it, honestly. I suffered a little bit with the emotions, but I enjoyed a lot."

Old rivals pay homage

Nadal's long-time rivals Novak Djokovic, fresh from winning his 100th ATP title on Saturday, Roger Federer and Andy Murray all joined him on court.

The trio walked out after Nadal's speech to greet their fellow former world No 1, to a deafening roar from the fans.

"To have my three biggest rivals there on the court with me meant a lot," Nadal said of the other members of the 'Big Four'.

"At the same time, it's a great message for the world, I think, that best rivals, the toughest rivals probably in the history of our sport, are able to be good colleagues, to respect each other.

"You don't need to hate the opponent to try to beat him with all your force. And that's the message that I think we showed people, we showed the new generations, and, in some way, that's our legacy."

Nadal hung up his racket following the 2024 Davis Cup Finals in Malaga, initially denying him an opportunity to wave goodbye to his adoring fans in Paris.

His tally of 14 victories at a single Grand Slam appears unlikely to be beaten, with Margaret Court's 11 Australian Open titles second on the all-time list.

Nadal was presented with a special trophy commemorating his French Open record, with a mark of his footprint carved into the clay.

"I didn't know anything about the ceremony," Nadal said.

"Only thing that I knew before going there was that there was going to be a video when I go on, then my speech and then a couple of surprises.

"Then, when I saw that, I thought it was going to be just for this year. Knowing that's going to be there forever, it's a present that I can't describe in words."

The 22-time Grand Slam champion received a send-off after his final match at the Davis Cup, but French tennis federation chief Gilles Moretton said earlier this year that "the tribute was not, in my opinion, what it should have been".

He said he had gone to visit Nadal at his home in December, along with Roland Garros tournament director Amelie Mauresmo, to discuss plans for Sunday's ceremony.

AFP