The King of Clay stood shyly in front of his subjects and peers in Paris on Sunday, sobbing with humility as he was celebrated for his greatness and decency.
As his emotions overflowed, Rafael Nadal had a capacity crowd in Philippe Chatrier Stadium chanting his name for one last time on what he later described as the perfect day.
It is the day Nadal’s name and footprint was permanently enshrined on the world’s most famous clay court, with the Spaniard receiving an extended standing ovation in a moving ceremony lasting almost an hour.
Nadal says it has been unforgettable.
He says there are plenty of emotions for a guy like him that, you doesn’t love these kind of things because he is still a little bit shy and doesn’t like to be the centre of attention.
Nadal won fourteen French Open titles claimed at a time when the giants of the sport roamed the baselines, and it stands as one of sports greatest achievements, a feat likely to stand forever.
2005. 2006. 2007. 2008. 2010. 2011. 2012. 2013. 2014. 2017. 2018. 2019. 2020. 2022.
And it is why this Spaniard has become adored in France. That in itself is a remarkable feat given the rivalry between the nations.
Last August he featured in the Paris Olympics in a prominent role and said how much it meant to him to receive the Torch from Zinedine Zidane. To become the first player to have his name cemented on the most important court in his career furthered his gratitude.
[Source: foxsports]
