There’s a reason a statue of Rafael Nadal stands outside Court Philippe Chatrier on the southwest outskirts of Paris.
No player ever lorded over any Grand Slam tennis tournament the way Nadal has ruled the French Open, winning it year after year after year so many times — 14 — it forces one to check the total again just to be certain. It is impossible to overstate what a monumental development it is that Nadal’s name will be absent from the bracket when play begins Sunday at Roland Garros.
The last time they held the clay-court major without him? Back in 2004 — before women and men received equal prize money there, before the main stadium was reconstructed with a retractable roof, before night sessions were added to the schedule.
“Him and Roland Garros is something special,” said Coco Gauff, the 19-year-old Floridian who was the runner-up to Iga Swiatek for the 2022 women’s singles title in Paris. “I remember last year … I made the mistake of doubting him. Next thing you know, he pretty much stormed his way to the final and won in straight sets.”
Then, using the now-familiar acronym for “Greatest of All-Time,” Gauff continued: “He’s just a ‘GOAT’ in that way. A ‘GOAT’ on clay. Someone you can’t underestimate.”