Alcaraz and Swiatek say 'Merci, Rafa' in Nadal tribute

Rafael Nadal said an emotional farewell to Roland Garros on Sunday -- and Carlos Alcaraz and Iga Swiatek had a front-row seat to the spectacular tribute.

Last year's champions were among the thousands of fans who gathered inside Court Philippe-Chatrier to celebrate 14-time tournament champion Nadal's legacy on the first day of this year's tournament, one which also featured several video montages, and cameo appearances by his greatest rivals Novak Djokovic, Roger Federer and Andy Murray.

Tournament director and former World No. 1 Amélie Mauresmo promised since April that Roland Garros would give an "exceptional" send-off to its most prolific champion following his official retirement from tennis last November. Nadal had previously declined to be celebrated after his final Roland Garros match -- a first-round loss to Alexander Zverev last year -- and Sunday's ceremony saw several unforgettable moments. All fans in attendance -- including Alcaraz and Swiatek -- were gifted burnt-orange T-shirts that read "Merci, Rafa" as a part of the celebration, transforming the seats into a living tribute to the clay courts that Nadal dominated.

Hailing the Spaniard as her idol since her earliest days on tour, Swiatek predicted in her pre-tournament press conference on Friday that "for sure" she'd cry if she attended the ceremony -- and a balled up wad of tissues in her hand in photos she posted to social media confirmed that the spectacle brought tears to her eyes.

"Your legacy will last forever @rafaelnadal," she wrote on Instagram, adding the hashtag #yesicried.

Less than 24 hours later, Swiatek was back on Chatrier -- beating Rebecca Sramkova for her 22nd straight match win at Roland Garros -- and revealed in her on-court interview that it was tough to "keep it together" watching her idol overcome by his own feelings.

"I needed to be brave!" she said. "Seeing Rafa crying also made me more emotional. It's nice that he shows emotions that way, and he shows us that he's human. I really like what Roland Garros did yesterday, especially the footprint there. I'm happy that it's going to stay here forever, because I think Rafa deserves it and deserves even more.

"It's great that the whole tennis world could come together and show our appreciation, and tell Rafa that we're really thankful for everything that he did and so many emotions that he gave us when we watched. He's a huge inspiration, and even when he's not playing, even being here yesterday, inspired me a lot. So thanks Rafa."