PARIS (AP) — They traveled from all over — from Europe and Oceania, from North America and South America — to be at Roland Garros on Monday, intent on watching Rafael Nadal play what turned out to be his only French Open match this year.
PARIS — They traveled from all over — from Europe and Oceania, from North America and South America — to be at Roland Garros on Monday, intent on watching Rafael Nadal play what turned out to be his only French Open match this year. And might be his last ever.
“He’s my favorite tennis player. Maybe when he retires, I will find someone new. But I don’t know if I will give that much love to the next one,” said Fiona Li, a 35-year-old who works in luxury fashion in the Netherlands. “His power is that he never gives up. He encourages me when I am really down. He fights until the last minute. That’s what we need in daily life. When you’re sad or something, you watch him play, and everything is solved.
So who knows what the future holds? The whole thing has a bit of the same vibe as at the 2022 U.S. Open, when the world was well aware that Serena Williams was participating in what would be her last event, and she was feted by enthusiastic crowds. Even Julio Parada, a 49-year-old Bolivian in banking, wanted a photo at the statue — while wearing a green hat with “RF” on it, representing Roger Federer.
They tried to watch a training session at Court 3 a few hours before Monday's match, but could not get in because it was too crowded. Still, it was a thrill simply to see him walk past afterward.
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