Nadal delighted by surprises in elaborate RG sendoff

Rafeal Nadal admitted on Sunday he was pleasantly surprised by his retirement ceremony staged on opening day at the French Open.

The 14-time winner at Roland Garros who ended his career in last November’s Davis Cup Finals in Spain, was stunned by the celebration laid on by the French federation in his honour.

“It’s always going to be a huge honor and very, very emotional to have this spot on the most important court of my tennis career, without a doubt.

“It’s difficult to describe the feeling, but it’s something that really touched me, yeah. Very, very special.”

Two decades to the date of his first match on the showcase court Nadal had to hold back his emotions as his goodbye took a dramatic turn in front of thousands of cheering tennis admirers.

“To receive a tribute like I received today in Paris, in Roland Garros, in France is something very special, no?,” he said.

“First of all, I am Spanish, and they make me feel when I was playing here the last, let’s say 12, 15 years, they make me feel like one more French player. 

“That’s the true. After all the respect and the love that they show me, the
crowd, but not only the crowd, the organizers. At the Olympic Games, they gave me the possibility to receive the Olympic torch from Zizou.

“You can’t imagine how emotional and how big in terms of happiness and
personal satisfaction that represents for me.”

Nadal also had a word for the opponents who helped shape his career.

“To have my three biggest rivals in the court with me meant a lot, no? At the same time it’s a great message for the world, I think, no, that best rivals, toughest rivalries 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 forces.

“That’s the message that I think we showed people, we showed the new generations, and in some way that’s our legacy. 

“The results are there, but at the same time  the results are just results. Rest of the things stays (the same).”

Main photo:- “The Four Musketeers” Rafa Nadal was joined on court by former rivals Roger Federer, Andy Murray and Novak Djokovic – by Roger Parker ISF Ltd