As the clay courts in Rome set up the stage for thrilling battles, there is a sense of nostalgia in the year. Rafael Nadal is about to play on Court Phillippe Chatrier for probably the last time in his career. But, before leaving the tournament where he has won 14 titles, Nadal has a special request for the organizers, which further brings back memories of Roger Federer’s farewell at Wimbledon 2023.

The 22-Grand Slam champion is gearing up to ignite a mix of emotions among his fans at Roland Garros this year. After all, this is the last time we will see him play at a place where he has a record win percentage rate of 97.4%. Moreover, after his farewell ceremonies in Barcelona and then the fans’ gathering in Rome to pay him their tribute, we were ready to witness another of those emotional farewells in Paris as well. But even before his draw match with Alexander Zverev starts tomorrow, Rafael Nadal has stated he does not want the farewell to be held this year.

According to a fan on X, “Rafa just said that he talked with RG organization and he thinks that there will be time in the future for a farewell ceremony, something that will happen quite naturally, with the public. But not this year. He added that he will happy to come back next year, even if he wouldn’t play, to have this ceremony.”

However, there is still doubt whether he is going to play next year or not. This is because he recently admitted, “It’s a big, big chance that it’s going to be my last Roland Garros.” But even then, fans are excited at this news, as it gives us hope for the next year. At the same it also reminds them of a similar event regarding Roger Federer’s Wimbledon farewell in 2023.

During Federer’s retirement in 2022, when he had his last match in Laver’s Cup, we all were teary-eyed. But little did we know that next year in Wimbledon, there will be another emotional moment like this. Although he did not play in the Wimbledon of 2022, the eight-time Wimbledon champion came back for a special ceremony in the Centre Court next year.

There, apart from receiving a long ovation, a video montage on the big screen showed the Swiss’ achievements in Wimbledon throughout his career. Later on, he also received a guard of honor in the Royal Box while fans cheered and applauded him. It indeed was a special day for the 20-grand slam champion. Will the history repeat itself? But this time at Roland Garros? Only time will tell. But, as of now, Nadal aims to play in Paris and move freely on-court “without any limitation.”

Rafael Nadal on what “encourages” him to play in the French Open

Rafael Nadal has stayed most of 2023 away from tennis owing to his hip flexor injury. Sadly, when he came back to Brisbane in January, another injury halted his game. This time it was a muscle tear. After withdrawing from Indian Wells and Monte-Carlo, Nadal has finally started playing back-to-back tournaments since Barcelona Open. But his round-64 exit from the Italian Open made us all worried about whether he will come back to Paris or not. But Nadal is hopeful that he is finally able to be in his form.

The Spaniard recently admitted, “I probably will say is the first week since I come back playing tennis that I am able to run the proper way without having a lot of limitations. That encourages me.” Right now, the whole world is waiting to see his comeback in the French Open. And the absence of the ceremony does not diminish the importance of his last dance in the Roland Garros.