Nadal, a 14-time Roland Garros champion whose record may never be surpassed, was honored by tennis rivals Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer.

Rafa, Roger, Novak and Andy.The names roll off the tongue for the modern-day tennis fan as quickly as John, Paul, George and Ringo do for a Beatles geek.This fab four - or the Big Four as they are known - of the ATP Tour's post-millennium golden era are not seen together much these days,

In the first French Open since Rafael Nadal’s retirement, Carlos Alcaraz is a strong favorite to defend his title in Paris as Spanish great Carlos Moyá tells CNN Sports.

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.

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.