The French Open is entering a new era this year now that Rafael Nadal has retired. Players tend to agree that it is a shame fans no longer will get to see him play at a tournament he won a record 14 times.

Roland Garros 2025 marks two decades since Nadal won his first title here, three years since he claimed French Open nombre quatorze – his 22nd and final grand slam victory overall – and will be the first to take place since he retired.

As a sports writer, Christopher Clarey covered more than a hundred Grand Slam tennis tournaments (and 15 Olympics) for the New York Times and the International Herald Tribune, besides authoring the acclaimed 2021 book The Master: The Long Run and Beautiful Game of Roger Federer.