Aryna Sabalenka spills plans to accost Rafael Nadal after his French Open tribute: Here’s why

Aryna Sabalenka was asked about her thoughts on Rafael Nadal ahead of the special tribute for the legendary Spaniard at the 2025 French Open, and if she would be attending it. The Belarusian suggested she would try being present for the tribute and also playfully said she would attempt to get hold of the record 14-time French Open champion for his advice on how to win the much coveted Roland Garros title.

Sabalenka kickstarted her campaign at this year’s French Open with a dominant 6-1, 6-0 win over Kamilla Rakhimova on Sunday, May 25. During her post-match, on-court interview, the reigning WTA No. 1 was quizzed about one memory from Nadal’s playing days that she carries in her mind. The Belarusian fondly remembered the hard work the Spaniard put into not just his matches, but also his training and preparation.

“Whenever someone asks me about Rafa, first thing that comes to my mind is, like, really hard worker and everything he achieved, he achieved through hard work, and it’s been an inspiration for me, an inspiration for so many young players. So, I’m really grateful for a great example,” the WTA No. 1 said.

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Aryna Sabalenka went on to share her plan of catching up with Rafael Nadal after the conclusion of his French Open tribute.

"And of course, I'll try to stick around and watch this beautiful ceremony and I'll try to catch him somewhere there and ask how I can win this tournament. Please, give me one advice or two. Just a few. I don't need more than that," Sabalenka added.

Last year, after Nadal announced he would retire at the 2024 Davis Cup Finals, Sabalenka spoke up about how emotional she became upon learning that the Spaniard's career was coming to an end.

"I had tears in my eyes" - Aryna Sabalenka on watching Rafael Nadal's retirement video

In October 2024, Rafael Nadal shared a video via his official social media handles. Through the video, he confirmed that he would be retiring at the end of the 2024 tennis season, following his participation at the Davis Cup Finals.

Aryna Sabalenka happened to watch the video after her quarterfinal victory at the Wuhan Open. Later, at a press conference, the Belarusian confessed to almost being moved to tears by the video.

"I watched his retirement video before my match, it was very emotional. I didn’t cry but I had tears in my eyes," she said.

The former ATP No. 1 and 22-time Major champion's French Open tribute is set to be a memorable one, as his fiercest rivals, Roger Federer, Andy Murray and Novak Djokovic, are all slated to be present.

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About the author

Sudipto Pati

Sudipto is a Tennis journalist at Sportskeeda holding a Bachelor’s degree in Journalism and Mass Communication. He has an experience of 3+ years across the market research, travel, health, lifestyle and sports sectors.

Sudipto has followed Tennis since the early 2000s and stays up-to-date with the sport by following both active and former Tennis players, and seasoned journalists. He also follows ATP and WTA updates, watches documentaries and interviews of professionals, and only reads esteemed publications. He sources all information for his articles only from credible publications stays away from unsubstantiated claims. In just a matter of 3 months, he has gained a readership of almost 2 million at Sportskeeda!

Sudipto admires Rafael Nadal for his fiercely competitive on-court nature and his ability to make memorable comebacks after injury layoffs. The Spaniard may be the GOAT for him, but he also respects the accomplishments of Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer.

Beyond Tennis, Sudipto also has an interest in music, football, and video games alongside cooking and traveling.

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