French Open: Now Rafael Nadal has his own monument in the Stade Roland Garros
Before the start of the French Open 2021, the organizers gave record winner Rafael Nadal a special honor: the 13-time champion is now omnipresent in the Stade Roland Garros all year round thanks to a statue.
by tennisnet.com
last edit:
May 28, 2021, 12:47 pm

Anyone who has ever experienced the French Open live on site knows: The statue of Suzanne Lenglen, which was erected in front of the stadium named in her honor, cannot be overlooked. Now Lenglen, who was six times triumphant in the second major of the year between 1920 and 1926, has had competition. Because Rafael Nadal can now also count himself among those lucky few who get a monument erected during their active time. And that of Nadal unmistakably shows all the characteristics of the record champion: the open mouth, the curved forehand, the dynamism in the legs.
The grandmaster himself was very satisfied with the work of art on Thursday. Cristiano Ronaldo, by the way, was so dissatisfied with the first draft of his statue in his native Funchal that the visual artist had to lend a hand again.
Nadal has been in Paris for a few days to tackle his 14th title. The path could be a more difficult one this time: The Spaniard only starts the race in third place, was drawn to the top half of the tableau - and could meet Andrey Rublev in the quarter-finals (against whom he lost in Monte Carlo a few weeks ago ), then the world number one Novak Djokovic would probably wait.
However: In Roland Garros, Nadal can traditionally move up a gear. The Court Philippe-Chatrier is his living room, in this stadium the Mallorcans feel an aura of invincibility. This will certainly not suffer from the fact that Nadal's competitors will now have to walk to work at a monument to the legendary left-hander.
Here the single tableau in Roland Garros 2021
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