"I'm gonna cry" - Iga Swiatek makes honest confession about attending Rafael Nadal's French Open ceremony

Iga Swiatek made a heartfelt admission ahead of Rafael Nadal’s tribute at the French Open, saying she is sure she will end up crying. The Spaniard is her childhood hero and someone she has always deeply looked up to.

Nadal, famously known as the 'King of Clay,' will receive a special tribute at Roland Garros to mark his official farewell from the tournament. The ceremony is set to take place on Sunday, May 25, at Court Philippe-Chatrier, after the day’s matches conclude.

Talking about the tribute, Swiatek, who is already in Paris and preparing to defend her title, shared during a conversation with the media that she will do her best to attend and adjust her schedule accordingly. The only problem, she admitted, is that she will most definitely cry.

"I really want to watch it. I’ll see what the schedule looks like for Monday. If I’m gonna play on Monday and everything. I need to be aware that for sure I’m gonna cry… so we need to play it wisely," the Pole said.

The World No. 5 added:

"I would love to be there. We should all kind of get together and celebrate Rafa and what he did for our sport. What kind of inspiration he was and still is. It means a lot to me. So I would love to be there. We will see about the schedule."

Nadal dominated the French Open for nearly two decades. He has an incredible 14 titles to his name at Roland Garros and boasts a jaw-dropping 112-4 win-loss record at the tournament. His last appearance came in 2024, where he was defeated by Alexander Zverev in the first round.

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Iga Swiatek gets emotional about Rafael Nadal's retirement

Rafael Nadal and Iga Swiatek pictured at the 2022 US Open | Image Source: Getty

Rafael Nadal officially announced his retirement from professional tennis in October 2024. His legendary career came to an end a month later at the Davis Cup Finals held in Malaga, Spain.

Iga Swiatek, like many others, was heartbroken by Nadal’s retirement. She got emotional and took to Instagram to share a heartfelt video tribute, expressing her admiration for the Spaniard.

"You were and still are the biggest inspiration that I ever had in tennis," Swiatek said. "The reason why sometimes I got extra motivated and kept pushing myself. Thank you for that and thank you for being such an amazing person off the court as well."

"Your humility is something that is not so [common] when you see other athletes succeeding. You're the one that always stayed honest with himself and true to himself. Thank you for being such a good person. I hope you're going to enjoy the other part of your life and hopefully maybe some other career, because the sky is the limit for you now," she added.

The Pole now faces a tough challenge ahead as she prepares to defend her French Open title this year. Much like Nadal, she has proven herself to be a dominant force on clay. But if she hopes to come close to matching his legacy at Roland Garros, this title defense will be crucial.