Roland Garros opened with tears, chants and a sea of brick-red T-shirts reading 'Merci Rafa' as the French Open paid an emotional tribute on Sunday to Rafael Nadal, the man who conquered its courts like no other.

If an 18th birthday is supposed to be a momentous, coming-of-age occasion, then Carlos Alcaraz got the memo. In front of a home crowd in Madrid, the then-up-and-coming tennis star braced himself to face one of the game’s great players for the first time.

The second of tennis' Grand Slam events gets underway on May 25 with the start of the French Open. The clay-court tournament is one where a slower surface speed puts an emphasis on the ability to win extended rallies and play off the baseline rather than relying on a dominant serve.

Rafa Nadal said the presence of his friends and rivals Roger Federer, Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray during a celebration of his glorious career at the French Open made an emotional Sunday evening all the more special.

Rafael Nadal, who will turn 39 on June 3, holds a career record of 112-4 at Roland Garros. The run even includes a 14-0 record in finals.

But the Nadal era at Roland Garros is officially over. Nadal retired from the sport last year after a first-round exit in his final French Open. Meanwhile, tennis’ GOAT Novak Djokovic looks far from the favorite to reclaim the crown — he said so himself — despite just winning his 100th title in Geneva yesterday.

Follow live text and BBC 5 live radio commentary from the French Open at Roland-Garros, the second Grand Slam tournament of the year.

Aryna Sabalenka is planning to hunt down Rafael Nadal and get his input as she bids to win the French Open for the first time in her career. A 14-time Roland Garros champion, Nadal is due to return to the centre court for a special tribute ceremony on Sunday, months after ending his playing career.