Federer on Touching Tribute to Nadal

By Richard Pagliaro | @Tennis_Now | Sunday, Might 25, 2025

Picture credit score: Stephane Cardinale/Corbis for Getty

Final warrior Rafael Nadal solid large steps throughout Courtroom Philippe Chatrier punishing opponents within the course of.

Seeing his footprint embedded on Roland Garros’ middle stage moved the 14-time French Open champion to tears.

In a touching tribute, Roland Garros celebrated Rafael Nadal’s good profession with one of the crucial emotional, dramatic and stylish send-offs a Grand Slam has delivered to an iconic champion.

The match equipped celebratory “Merci, Rafa” t-shirts to followers making a sea of salmon-colored topics, together with Iga Swiatek and Carlos Alcaraz, embracing the King of Clay in loving and big group hug on Courtroom Philippe Chatrier. There have been smiles, tears and emotional embraces all through with Nadal himself standing alone behind a picket podium delivering a shifting thanks to all who have been a part of his wondrous journey.

A number of the most most shifting moments got here when Nadal thanked his household, when the match introduced out the behind-the-scenes staffers, together with his driver, who supported Nadal all through his Roland Garros profession, the revealing of a white plaque bearing Nadal’s title, his 14 RG titles and footprint and when a video tribute from Large 4 rivals Roger Federer, Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray gave approach to the trio strolling out onto the crimson-colored stage to embrace an emotional Nadal.

Parting might be poignant—seeing the enduring Large 4 champions have fun Nadal collectively, standing as one, was profoundly highly effective, shifting many followers to tears.

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Shortly after stepping off court docket, Federer informed TNT’s Mary Joe Fernandez it was becoming closure for the clay court docket king—and his approach of paying respect to his rival.

“Farewells are vital when you’ve got his degree—he’s a large of the sport,” Federer informed TNT’s Mary Joe Fernandez. “If we will add a bit one thing by being right here with Novak and Andy I feel it’s a pleasant factor.

“I do know it meant the world to me once I had my guys round [retiring at Laver Cup].

“It’s additionally good closure, respect from me personally for Rafa and his household and his crew. We performed so lengthy and so arduous towards one another, I used to be not gonna miss it.”

For years, Nadal rampaged throughout Roland Garros’ pink clay posting a fully astounding 137-3 profession clay-court report in best-of-five-set matches. Federer mentioned Nadal was moved when the match unveiled its everlasting tribute: the white plaque embedded within the pink clay bearing his title and report.

“It’s superb how dominant he has been,” mentioned Federer of his rival who sported a 6-0 report vs. the Swiss at Roland Garros.  “I’m positive he bought the plaque ceaselessly and I feel it meant rather a lot to Rafa.

“So I’m honored I had an opportunity to play towards Rafa on this court docket.”

The person who threw great topspin drives throughout the terre battue confirmed the ability of human contact as we speak.

Recalling his personal retirement ceremony on the 2022 Laver Cup when Federer and Nadal sat-side-by-side shedding tears, the Swiss Maestro mentioned the Large 4 reuniting can serve for example.

The fiercest rivals can come collectively in pleasant celebration now that the main battles are completed.

“I don’t know if a number of the better of the perfect have been as pleasant as we have been,” Federer informed TNT’s Mary Joe Fernandez. “It’s good to see me, Novak, Andy and Rafa [together]. “All of us get alongside very well.

“You may put us in a room collectively and we will have a very nice time. However when it’s Go Time…we’re going to go arduous and do it honest.”

Three years in the past, we noticed bittersweet Fedal Farewell in London.

After Federer’s last doubles match alongside Nadal, Rafa and Roger sat side-by-side on the Crew Europe bench, clasped fingers and shared sobs.

In an interview with Radioestadio Noche, Nadal mentioned seeing Federer get emotional moved him to tears.

It might nicely have ready him for his rousing Roland Garros Au Revoir in Paris as we speak.

“It was a troublesome time as a result of I did not wish to cry both,” Nadal informed Radioestadio Noche after Federer’s retirement. “It’s a second that he’s already there and I’m a delicate individual and at that second seeing him so emotional made it very troublesome for me.

“While you see somebody you recognize say goodbye it is arduous to not get emotional. It bought a bit out of hand, and the worst factor is that once I went to the room I simply bought emotional once more.

“It was troublesome for it to not occur due to all the things that was lived that night time.”

As an 18-year-old sporting pirate pants and a sleeveless shirt, Nadal unleashed snarling topspin conquering Mariano Puerta to seize his maiden Roland Garros crown again in 2005.

In a full-circle second 20 years later, Nadal stood on the salmon stage and recalled hobbling as much as the very prime of Courtroom Chatrier whereas on crutches as an injured 17-year-old whereas dreaming of someday competing on the court docket far beneath.

To the King, leaving a perpetual mark on the Roland-Garros clay.#RolandGarros pic.twitter.com/SFHkAuYG9K

— Roland-Garros (@rolandgarros) May 25, 2025

20 years after daring to dream large, Nadal, clutching his younger son in his arms, left the court docket with a joyful smile.

Tennis final fighter performed with ardour and departed feeling the love from the devoted.