Rafael Nadal is being celebrated during a ceremony in the main stadium of the French Open on Day 1 of the tournament.

An emotional Rafael Nadal, who retired in November, was honored with a farewell ceremony on Court Philippe-Chatrier, where he won a record 14 French Open championships.

Nadal is known as The King of Clay for a reason: 14 of his 22 major titles came at Roland-Garros. The Spaniard won his first French Open in 2005, just days after his 19th birthday, before going on an unprecedented run at the tournament over the following two decades. Nadal won his final French Open in 2022, days after turning 36.

Roger Federer, Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray have shown up at the French Open to participate in a ceremony honoring 14-time tournament champion Rafael Nadal.

Rafa Nadal said the presence of his friends and rivals Roger Federer, Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray during a celebration of his glorious career at the French Open made an emotional Sunday evening all the more special.

Ben Shelton beat Lorenzo Sonego for the second straight time at a Grand Slam this year, winning 6-4, 4-6, 3-6, 6-2, 6-3 under floodlights to reach the second round of the French Open.

Rafael Nadal stepped out into Court Philippe-Chatrier on Sunday to the sort of unending adulation, thunderous applause and chants of his nickname, "Rafa," that greeted him for years

The second of tennis' Grand Slam events gets underway on May 25 with the start of the French Open. The clay-court tournament is one where a slower surface speed puts an emphasis on the ability to win extended rallies and play off the baseline rather than relying on a dominant serve.

World number one Aryna Sabalenka sounded an early warning siren to her French Open rivals when she dismantled Kamilla Rakhimova in the opening round, while Parisian fans gave Rafa Nadal a special salute as the claycourt major got underway on Sunday.

But the Nadal era at Roland Garros is officially over. Nadal retired from the sport last year after a first-round exit in his final French Open. Meanwhile, tennis’ GOAT Novak Djokovic looks far from the favorite to reclaim the crown — he said so himself — despite just winning his 100th title in Geneva yesterday.