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.

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.

The numbers reach a crescendo, almost drowned out by the cheers from an adoring crowd, before Maury concludes, simply: “From Spain, Rafael Nadal!” Roland Garros 2025 marks two