Paris, May 25 -- Rafael Nadal, the 14-time Roland Garros champion, received a heartfelt tribute at Court Philippe-Chatrier as he was honoured in a special ceremony attended by a 15,000-strong crowd.
Nadal, who first played at the French Open two decades ago at the age of 18, delivered an emotional speech thanking his legendary rivals Andy Murray, Novak Djokovic, and Roger Federer for pushing him to his limits both physically and mentally.
"In 2005 I was finally able to play here for the first time. My first major experience was the match against my childhood friend and rival Richard Gasquet," Nadal recalled.
"From that day, I fully understood what Roland Garros meant. I have experienced everything over these 20 years. I've had incredible r...