Roland Garros opened with tears, chants and a sea of brick-red T-shirts reading 'Merci Rafa' as the French Open paid an emotional tribute on Sunday to Rafael Nadal, the man who conquered its courts like no other.

Is Rafael Nadal the greatest tennis champion of all time? Impossible to say. But a tear-jerking farewell ceremony, staged at Roland Garros on Sunday night, proved beyond doubt that he is the most humble.

Rafael Nadal believes his legacy at Roland-Garros is more broad than the record-setting 14 titles he won in Paris.