Rafael Nadal has 4-word reaction to French Open confirming planned 2025 tribute

Rafael Nadal has given a reaction to the date of his highly anticipated tribute at the French Open this year being announced. Though the Spaniard competed at the Paris Major for the final time in his career last year, he was unsure at the time if he would hang up his racket by the end of that season.

Nadal left every tennis fan teary-eyed when he announced that the 2024 Davis Cup Final would be the final tournament of his career. Team Spain's defeat in the quarterfinal meant it was time for one of the biggest legends of the sport to bid his illustrious career adieu. The Spaniard received emotional tribute at the Davis Cup, where the highlight was an emotional speech that broke hearts all over the world.

Though the 38-year-old left the tennis world, many in the tennis fraternity wondered if he would receive a special tribute at Roland Garros, where he scripted history by winning an unprecedented 14 times. All those doubts were put to bed on April 17, 2025, when the official social media account of the French Open announced that a special tribute would take place on May 25.

"A ceremony will be held on Sunday, May 25 on Court Philippe-Chatrier, after the three matches of the day session."

The 14-time French Open champion has finally given his much-awaited response to the blockbuster news on X (formerly Twitter) with a four-word message.

"👋🏼 See you soon, Paris ☺️," the Spaniard tweeted.

It is worth noting that earlier this year, the French Tennis Federation's President, Gilles Moretton, had said that Roland Garros would be having a 'tribute year' for the 22-time Grand Slam Champion.

The final match of the former World No. 1 at the French Open came against Alexander Zverev, following which he delivered a speech addressing the possibility of this being his final campaign at the Paris Major.

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"It's difficult for me to talk" - When an emotional Rafael Nadal addressed the Philippe-Chatrier crowd after exiting the 2024 French Open

Rafael Nadal at the 2024 French Open - Source: Getty

Rafael Nadal lost to Alexander Zverev in the opening round of the 2024 French Open in straight sets, making it only his fourth loss at the coveted Major. Though it was revealed by tournament director Amelie Mauresmo that the Spaniard didn't want a farewell ceremony back then, as he was unsure if he would retire for sure, he still addressed the crowd about what he was feeling at that moment.

"Hello everyone, thank you, it’s incredible (translated from French), the amount of energy. You know, it's difficult for me to talk. I don’t know, it's going to be the last time that I am going to be here in front of all of you. Honestly, I am not 100% sure but if it's last time, I enjoyed it," Nadal said.

"The crowd have been amazing during the whole week of preparation and today. The feelings that I have today are difficult to describe in words, but for me, it's so special to feel the love of the people, the way that I felt in the place that I love the most. So thank you very much, everyone."

Nadal ended his career at the French Open with an unbelievable 112-4 win-loss record and 14 titles. Interestingly, he received a statue in his honor at the tournament's venue in 2021 and then ended up winning another title in 2022, his final one.