Nadal honored; Sabalenka, Swiatek win

PARIS – Rafael Nadal said a tearful farewell as Roland Garros paid tribute to its greatest champion on Sunday, while Aryna Sabalenka got her French Open campaign up and running with an emphatic victory.

Old rivals Roger Federer, Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray joined Nadal on Court Philippe Chatrier during a long-awaited ceremony to honor the record 14-time Roland Garros winner who retired from tennis last November after an illustrious career.

The Spaniard finished with a remarkable 112-4 win-loss record at Roland Garros, dominating the tournament since winning the title on his debut in 2005.

Nadal hung up his racquet following the 2024 Davis Cup Finals in Malaga, initially denying him an opportunity to wave goodbye to his adoring fans in Paris.

“I don’t know how to start... I’ve been playing on this court for 20 years. I suffered, I won, I lost. I have lived many emotions here on this court,” an emotional Nadal told the crowd after watching a video of his career highlights at Roland Garros.

His tally of 14 victories at a single Grand Slam appears unlikely to be beaten, with Margaret Court’s 11 Australian Open titles second on the all-time list.

Women’s world No. 1 Sabalenka needed just an hour to sweep aside Russian Kamilla Rakhimova.

The Belarusian kicked off the schedule under the roof on Court Philippe Chatrier with a ruthless 6-1, 6-0 win.

Iga Swiatek launched her bid for a fourth straight Roland Garros title with a 6-3, 6-3 win over Slovakia’s Rebecca Sramkova.

Swiatek extended her winning run at Roland Garros to 22 matches but has dropped to fifth in the world after a year-long trophy drought.