Nadal's first French Open win set him on a path to untold dominance. Here's how it unfolded, according to those that lived it.

Few athletes have become more synonymous with a single event than Rafael Nadal and the French Open. The Spaniard won a record 14 titles at the grand slam in his career and Roland Garros gave its champion one final goodbye on Sunday.

Rafael Nadal would have liked 2024 to be a normal season for him, in which to try to win some more important titles and prove to the world that he can also defeat time. However – from the beginning of last year – it was clear to everyone that the Spanish legend was no longer competitive at the highest level for a number of reasons.