Rafael Nadal was honored at Roland Garros on Sunday with a special ceremony at Court Philippe Chatrier, celebrating his record 14 French Open titles.

Rafael Nadal already has a statue at Roland Garros. That's what happens when you win the French Open a mind-boggling 14 times. But the clay court GOAT will be honored again on Sunday after Day 1 of the matches at the 2025 French Open are concluded.

Chatrier, only instead of competing, he was going to be feted by the French tennis federation for all that he accomplished on the red clay.

Rafa won the last title of his glorious career at Roland Garros in 2022, when he defeated Casper Ruud in the final despite the condition of his foot being very precarious and he was forced to anesthetize it in order to participate in the tournament.

Rafael Nadal stepped out into Court Philippe-Chatrier on Sunday to the sort of unending adulation, thunderous applause and chants of his nickname,

The second of tennis' Grand Slam events gets underway on May 25 with the start of the French Open. The clay-court tournament is one where a slower surface speed puts an emphasis on the ability to win extended rallies and play off the baseline rather than relying on a dominant serve.

With Rafael Nadal's retirement and Iga Swiatek's struggles, the French Open enters a period of uncertainty. Several contenders, including Carlos Alcaraz, Alexander Zverev, and Novak Djokovic, vie for the men's title.

Rafael Nadal is set to receive a very special tribute at Roland Garros tomorrow, certainly better than the one he had reserved for himself on the day of his retirement at the Davis Cup Finals in Malaga on November 19, 2024.