Rafael Nadal's iconic sleeveless shirt from French Open 2005 win to be auctioned, bidding to start at $25,000

Rafael Nadal's iconic green sleeveless shirt from his 2005 French Open title win is set to be auctioned. The bidding for the historic piece of memorabilia has a starting price of $25,000.

Prestige Memorabilia, the world's leading source for high-end tennis memorabilia, recently announced that they are auctioning off Nadal's shirt from the 2005 French Open. It was the Spaniard's first Grand Slam title and the first of his 14 Majors at Roland Garros

The 22-time Grand Slam champion had worn the green shirt during his quarterfinal match against his compatriot David Ferrer, his semifinal match against Roger Federer, and the final against Mariano Puerta, making it significant for tennis fans and collectors alike.

According to Prestige Memorabilia's official website, the auction for the former World No. 1's green shirt began on Wednesday, July 17, and will continue until August 4, 2024. The bidding for this rare piece of memorabilia has been set at $25,000, with the auction house expecting a selling price of $100,000. The first bid is yet to be made.

Rafael Nadal's 2005 French Open shirt is so iconic that his long-time kit sponsor Nike released a limited edition to commemorate the historic win ahead of the 2024 French Open.

A look back at Rafael Nadal's winning campaign at French Open 2005

The Spaniard pictured at the 2005 French Open [Image Source: Getty Images]

Rafael Nadal was the fourth seed at the 2005 French Open. He began his campaign by defeating Lars Burgsmuller 6-1, 7-6(4), 6-1 in the first round and Xavier Malisse 6-2, 6-2, 6-4 in the second.

The Spaniard went on to overcome 30th seed Richard Gasquet 6-4, 6-3, 6-2 and 23rd seed Sebastien Grosjean 6-4, 3-6, 6-0, 6-3 in the third and fourth rounds, respectively

In the quarterfinals, the now-22-time Grand Slam champion triumphed over 20th seed and compatriot David Ferrer with scores of 7-5, 6-2, 6-0. He went on to defeat top seed Roger Federer in the semifinals 6-3, 4-6, 6-4, 6-3.

In the summit clash, Rafael Nadal defeated Argentine Mariano Puerta 6–7(6), 6–3, 6–1, 7–5 to win the 2005 French Open at the age of 19. This was the Spaniard's first Grand Slam title and also his first of a record 14 French Open singles titles. With the win, he also became the first man since Mats Wilander in 1982 to win the claycourt Grand Slam on tournament debut.