Roland-Garros. A “simple and authentic” ceremony: Rafael Nadal returns to Paris to say his goodbyes

The earth will tremble one last time. Tears, for sure, will also flow down the cheeks of the few thousand lucky spectators invited to see one last time what we will never see again: Rafael Nadal , standing, on the Philippe-Chatrier court at Roland-Garros . This Sunday at the end of the afternoon, for a tribute hoped to be "simple and authentic" , the clay-court legend is preparing to say goodbye to his family.

Six months after his last match , it is in Paris, the city of his greatest victories, that he will close the book on a career in which his fourteen titles at Roland-Garros have a special place. And rightly so: for many, it is the greatest sporting achievement of all time, in all sports.

The young man from Manacor will, in any case, leave a deep mark on the history of his sport. Through his manners, his politeness, and his attention to others, too. In the stands at Roland-Garros, "Rafa" greets by name those who have witnessed, in their hearts for two decades, the unthinkable.

For so long, the Porte d'Auteuil had belonged to Bjorn Borg, winner six times between 1974 and 1981, who transformed it into an impregnable fortress. The figures are staggering: 116 matches between May 23, 2005 and May 27, 2024, for 112 victories and 4 tiny defeats. "You have to remember the number of times the guys had absolutely no solution against him," recalls Olivier Mutis from Lorraine, the only French player to have beaten him on clay , in Palermo in 2004. "His topspin bounced so high, he was uncontrollable for a long time."

Even Roger Federer , genius personified, failed. Without Rafael Nadal as a contemporary, he would undoubtedly have closed the debate about the greatest player of all time. But that's just the way it is, and he doesn't blame him. It's even rumored that this Sunday in Paris, the Swiss player is likely to make the trip to embrace his greatest rival one last time on the court. After all, "Roger" can't miss that.