Nadal, who has clinched a record 14 titles at the clay-court Grand Slam event, expressed his desire to keep the door open for a potential return in the future.

Tournament director Amélie Mauresmo revealed that Nadal informed officials about his decision during a pre-tournament news conference, stating that he did not want to officially close the door on his participation in future Roland Garros tournaments. The federation had initially planned a special ceremony to celebrate Nadal's illustrious career, but respecting his wishes, they have decided to hold off on the event.

Mauresmo stated, "It's his decision when he wants to have a proper ceremony, a proper goodbye, a proper farewell. So we're not going to do it this year. That's his wish." She also added that they were prepared to proceed with the ceremony if Nadal had desired, but they will now wait until he feels the time is right.

Nadal, who will turn 38 on June 3, is scheduled to face No. 4 seed Alexander Zverev in the first round on Monday. Despite his remarkable success at Roland Garros, Nadal was not seeded this year due to his limited participation in recent seasons. Injuries, including a surgically repaired hip and problematic abdominal muscle, have hindered his performances, resulting in a drop in his ranking. With just a 7-4 win-loss record in 2024, Nadal currently sits outside the top 250 rankings.

The match between Nadal and Zverev is set to be the third match on the main stadium, Court Philippe Chatrier, and is expected to begin at approximately 3:30 p.m. local time (9:30 a.m. EDT).

For now, fans and tennis enthusiasts will have to wait to witness a formal tribute to Rafael Nadal's extraordinary career at Roland Garros. The French tennis federation remains committed to honoring his legacy whenever the time is right, whether it be later this year or in the future.