French Open 2025: Nadal honoured at Roland Garros farewell ceremony, Sabalenka’s title bid headlines opening day

PARIS — Roland Garros will pay tribute to its greatest champion with a ceremony for the retired Rafael Nadal today, while Aryna Sabalenka gets her French Open campaign up and running on the opening day of the tournament.

Nadal, the record 14-time champion on the Paris clay, retired from tennis last November after an illustrious career.

He returns to Court Philippe Chatrier a year after suffering a first-round exit at the hands of Alexander Zverev in what proved to be his final French Open.

The Spaniard finished with a remarkable 112-4 win-loss record at Roland Garros, dominating the tournament since winning the title on his debut in 2005.

Nadal hung up his racquet 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.

Former rivals Roger Federer and Andy Murray are expected to attend Nadal’s ceremony, as well as Novak Djokovic—fresh off his 100th ATP title in Geneva.

Nadal’s heir apparent Carlos Alcaraz will start his title defence next week as a slight favourite to become the first man to lift the Coupe des Mousquetaires since his compatriot’s retirement.

Victory over world number one Jannik Sinner in last weekend’s Italian Open final gave Alcaraz the second seeding for Roland Garros.

That raises the possibility of the world’s top two players meeting in a Grand Slam final for the very first time on June 8.