very athlete looks forward to a supportive crowd in the stadium. While fans’ cheer helps them to keep their head strong about winning, their negative reactions impact players’ mentality to stick to the match till the end. Rafael Nadal, a legend of Roland Garros, might be showered with overwhelming love from the Paris crowd but things weren’t the same when the story began. Nadal’s uncle Tony Nadal came to his rescue, but that only worsened the matter leaving Parisian fans with a strong disdain for the Spaniard.

Despite being a star of Roland Garros, Nadal did not receive positive reactions from the French crowd during his early years of playing the French Open. While they didn’t hate him, they cheered for Federer much louder more in the finals. However, this Mallorcan legend had very few Parisian supporters and it goes back to his uncle Toni Nadal’s controversial remarks.

In 2008, Nadal retired from the Paris Masters due an injury, which was followed by jeers from the spectators. Next year, he lost to Robin Soderling at the Roland Garros fourth round and received a similar treatment from the crowd. Disappointed with the fans’ behaviors, Tony Nadal said in an interview with Cadena Ser, a Spanish radio station,

“There is only one set of supporters that is worse than the French and that is the Parisians. They say it themselves and it’s true, the Parisian crowd is pretty stupid. I think the French don’t like it when a Spaniard wins, Wanting someone to lose is a slightly conceited way of amusing yourself. They show the stupidity of people who think themselves superior.”

Nadal also expressed his disappointment with the crowd after losing his fifth Roland Garros run to Soderling. “This tournament is so important, such a beautiful tournament for me. Well, that’s the way it is,” he said. However, we know how his journey would pan out in the coming years.

Now, he is the favorite athlete of the Parisian crowd and they want to watch him win one more accolade before hanging up the racquet. Nadal kicked off his Paris Olympics with a victory against Marton Fucsovics in the first round. He defeated the Hungarian ATP star by 6-1, 4-6, 6-4.

Toni Nadal’s statement in 2009 expressed the partial nature of the Parisian fans, but it changed after the Mallorcan legend impressed them with his brilliance on the dirt. Thirteen years after that statement, Nadal receives immense support from the same French crowd at the Paris Olympics.

Fans chant and give Rafael Nadal a standing ovation in Paris

Nadal might have faced mixed reactions from the French crowd in the past but this Paris Olympics changed everything for him. He played his first match against Marton Fucsovics at the Philippe-Chatrier court, where the Mallorcan legend has won 14 Roland Garros titles. When Nadal entered the court, he was greeted with a standing ovation from the crowd.

Not only that but they also cheered for the Spaniard by shouting “Ole”, “Ra-fa! Ra- fa!“, “Vamos, Rafa!” and “Allez Rafa.” In a stadium, where he faced many emotions previously, it must have been rewarding for Rafa to receive such overwhelming support from the crowd.

The crowd’s constant cheer for Nadal in the Paris Olympics showcases that he is truly a legend who transformed his haters into his true fans. It also showed that with hard work and dedication, it is not hard for players to turn the tables and win over people. So, are you ready to watch more of Rafael Nadal’s final stint in Paris?