‘First thing I did was look to his footprint’ – players inspired by Nadal in Paris

French Open 2025

Location: Roland Garros, May 25 – June

In their first-round French Open victories, Iga Swiatek and Paula Badosa both claimed inspiration from legendary tennis player Rafael Nadal.

Swiatek, a three-time defending champion, and Carlos Alcaraz, a men’s champion, were present for a Sunday tribute ceremony to 14-time champion Nadal.

With a 6-3 6-3 victory over Slovakia’s Sramkova on Monday, the Pole won her 22nd French Open appearance.

“I knew Carlos [Alcaraz] was behind me, so I had to be brave, but seeing Rafa crying makes me feel more emotional,” Swiatek said.

“It’s wonderful that the tennis world is appreciative of Rafa and expresses our gratitude for everything he has done. He is a tremendous inspiration.

Even his presence here yesterday, even when he’s not playing, really made me think. Rafa, I appreciate it.

After defeating Naomi Osaka, the four-time major champion, 6 (7) 6-1 6-4, Badosa paid tribute to her fellow Spaniard.

When I was 7-6 down, Badosa said, “The first thing I did was look over there, to get inspiration from Rafa,” and that is where I was next to the silver plaque with Nadal’s footprint next to the net post on Court Philippe Chatrier.

I told him, “Come on Paula, you have to fight like he would.”

Swiatek, who is competing for a fifth French Open title in six years, has fallen behind in recent years in terms of rankings and has fallen behind.

She doesn’t have a WTA title in the first five months of the season, for the first time since 2020 when she competes in the clay-court major.

Swiatek is known for getting things off to a fast start, but she had to battle it out with Sramkova, who was 42nd overall.

She won the first three games to take the lead, but the second game’s opening game saw her score at 15 instead.

Swiatek held on, holding on for 3-3 before winning the next three games to set up a meeting with Emma Raducanu from Great Britain.

After losing to Novak Djokovic in the semi-finals, Swiatek recalls speaking with him in Paris in 2021, the same year that Swiatek’s title defense came to an end in the quarter-finals.

I asked him how he felt after he lost, and the next day he was just sitting there after breakfast or something. “Swiatek said,”

He was shivering. He said, “Oh, it’s just a tennis match.” I’ll have many more chances.