"And they say Olympics is irrelevant to tennis"- Fans amazed as Rafael Nadal, Serena Williams, others become "focal point" at Paris opening ceremony

Rafael Nadal, Serena Williams, and several other tennis players taking the center stage at the 2024 Paris Olympics opening ceremony overjoyed fans. The two tennis legends carried the Olympic flame during the final moments of the torch relay.

The 2024 Olympics kicked off in Paris with a ground-breaking Parade of Nations as around 10,000 athletes representing their countries sailed through the Seine River, waving their flags in delight. The extravagant affair was carried out across the French capital, with Lady Gaga treating the viewers to a mesmerizing cabaret-inspired performance by the river.

When it came to tennis representation, four athletes—Chile’s Nicolas Jarry, Ukraine’s Elina Svitolina, Montenegro’s Danka Kovinic, and USA’s Coco Gauff—bagged the flag-bearer honor. It is worth noting that Gauff made history, being the youngest-ever athlete to carry the American flag at the opening ceremony.

Tennis legends Rafael Nadal, Serena Williams, and Amelie Mauresmo, too, grabbed the limelight during the final laps of the torch relay. The Spaniard, who’s won the French Open a historic 14 times and has two Olympic gold medals to his name, received the flame from French football legend Zinedine Zidane.

Serena Williams then joined Nadal on a boat ride through the Seine, with former American track and field athlete Carl Lewis and Romanian gymnast Nadia Comaneci accompanying the duo. Former tennis player Amelie Mauresmo was next to carry the torch. Mauresmo, the only French player to be ranked World No. 1, jogged through the streets of Paris to eventually pass the flame to former basketball player Tony Parker.

Fans were delighted to watch tennis players take the center stage.

"Tennis being such a focal point of this Olympic opening ceremony w Rafa and Serena w the torch & multiple countries having a tennis player as a flag bearer when tt spends so much time yapping back and forth about whether Olympic tennis even matters at all is killllllling me," one fan joked on X.

Their appearance comes amid controversy surrounding numerous players opting out of the Olympics. In that regard, one fan said:

"Olympics needs tennis more than tennis needs the Olympics I fear."

This is not the first time that a tennis player has carried the Olympic torch. At the Tokyo Olympics, four-time Grand Slam champion Naomi Osaka lit the cauldron to kick off the event.

"Wait that’s two Olympics in a row with a tennis player carrying the flame. And they say Olympics is irrelevant to tennis," another fan said.

"Frankly, tonight showed why tennis being in the Olympics is so huge. It may not be the pinnacle of the sport and some may skip it, but with how international the sport is, it has to be on sports biggest stage and it's a huge deal to a lot of players," another fan said.

"The Olympics ceremony being a tennis fest, love it!!" yet another fan added.

Here are a few more reactions:

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Rafael Nadal to kick off his final Olympics campaign in Paris on Saturday

Rafael Nadal pictured with Zinedine Zidane at the 2024 Paris Olympics opening ceremony - Image Source: Getty

Rafael Nadal is set to commence his third and final Olympics campaign on Saturday, July 27. The Spaniard, a gold medalist in both singles (Beijing 2008) and men’s doubles (Rio 2016), begins his journey at Roland-Garros with a doubles match partnering fellow former World No. 1 Carlos Alcaraz.

Alcaraz, the reigning French Open champion, will first compete in singles against Hady Habib during the day session. He will join the 14-time champion on Court Philippe-Chatrier during the evening session against Argentines Maximo Gonzalez and Andres Molteni.

In singles, Rafael Nadal squares off against Marton Fucsovics in the opening round, with a potential clash against arch-rival Novak Djokovic in the next round.n