French Open 2024: Rafael Nadal’s Unparalleled 19-Year Brilliance Rightfully Commemorated by Nike With a Touch of Nostalgia
Spanish ATP legend Rafael Nadal receives a heartwarming tribute before his last Paris attempt. After highlighting the Mallorcan’s return to Brisbane with their iconic image of Brisbane’s skyline flashing with the “Raging Bull” logo, Nadal’s long-term sponsor Nike has come up with another interesting gift that highlighted Nadal’s unbelievable dominance on the clay court since his debut in 2005.
A reliable tennis fan recently took their X (formerly Twitter) to share Nike’s amazing tribute to Rafael Nadal on his final Roland Garros attempt. Recreating the Spaniard’s iconic 2005 sneakers, Nike has designed an exclusive shoe for the Mallarcan’s clay court journey in Paris. “For this year’s Roland Garros, Nike has designed Rafa a commemorative 2005 Roland Garros shoe design” wrote the source with a collage showcasing Rafa’s new sneakers on the left, which replicated his iconic 2005 tour sneakers on the right.
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Given that this French Open might be the ATP legend’s last Rolland Garros tour, Nike wished to make it special by adding an exclusive tribute. They recreated his 2005 tour’s Nike Max Breathe Free II, which will soon be launched for fans. However, the icon was already spotted donning a pair of these specially customized sneakers during his practice sessions. Nadal wore Nike’s monochrome sneakers a lot during his early days. It was a heartwarming gesture from Nike to bring back fans to the good old nostalgic days of Nadal.
On the other hand, 2005’s Rolland Garros was important for Rafa’s fans as the Spaniard legend won his debut French Open title that year defeating Mariano Puerta by 6-7, 6-3, 6-1, and 7-5. Before unleashing his dominance in the French Open tour in 2005, Rafa played seven clay court matches and won five of them, showing his mastery on the surface. Entering Paris’s clay court at 51 rank, Nadal reached the top five after he bagged the 2005 French Open title. His performance on clay has been superb over the years.
