Ahead of seemingly his final French Open campaign, Rafael Nadal's longtime kit sponsor Nike has released an exclusive line of t-shirts, celebrating the Spaniard's first Roland Garros triumph. He won his first Grand Slam at the 2005 French Open, which was also his first appearance in the tournament.
Nadal started his journey to his first claycourt championship with a 6-1, 7-6(4), 6-1 win over Lars Burgsmuller of Germany. The fourth seed then downed Belgium's Xavier Malisse 6-2, 6-2, 6-4 in the second round before overcoming local boy Richard Gasquet 6-4, 6-3, 6-2 in the third.
He extended his run by defeating Sebastien Grosjean, another Frenchman, 6-4, 3-6, 6-0, 6-3 in the fourth round and went past compatriot David Ferrer 7-5, 6-2, 6-0 in the quarterfinals to set up a blockbuster semifinal clash with Roger Federer. The two had played against each other twice before that meeting with their head-to-head tied at 1-1.
Federer wasn't able to hold the Spaniard back as the latter registered a 6-3, 4-6, 6-4, 6-3 victory and clinched the trophy with a comeback effort over Argentina's Mariano Puerta. He defeated Puerta 6-7(6), 6-3, 6-1, 7-5 on June 5, 2005, two days after his 19th birthday.
Nearly 19 years and a staggering 14 French Open titles later, Nadal stands at Roland Garros to kickstart potentially his final campaign at the tournament. He will take on Germany's Alexander Zverev in the first round on Sunday, May 26.
Ahead of the Spaniard's concluding journey, Nike has rolled out a set of limited-edition t-shirts, commemorating his 2005 triumph. The t-shirts feature a photo of a 19-year-old Nadal in his signature celebratory pose, pumping his left fist with his biceps toned on the front and his logo at the back.
As per the reports, the fabric has already hit the shelves in the European Union and will be available in the US market May 27 onwards.
Rafael Nadal ahead of 2024 French Open: "Going to try to be there and fight for the things that I have been fighting the last 15 years"
Rafael Nadal has spent a significant amount of time on clay in his preparation for the 2024 French Open. He registered second-round finishes in Barcelona and Rome, and a run to the fourth round in Madrid.
After his latest on-court appearance, which resulted in a loss to Hubert Hurkacz in Rome, the 37-year-old told the media that he looked forward to battling in Paris despite some niggles.
"Physically, I have some issues, but not probably yet enough to say not playing in the most important event of my tennis career. If I feel ready, I going to try to be there and fight for the things that I have been fighting the last 15 years, if now seems impossible," he said in his presser after losing to Hurkacz. (via Forbes)
Nadal has played 115 matches at the French Open and lost only three so far.
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