"They wanted him to have a very significant role in the ceremony”: The insides of Nadal as Olympic torchbearer

Rafael Nadal was one of the key figures in the opening ceremony of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. The 14-time Roland Garros champion was one of the final torchbearers, a role that had been arranged months in advance by the Paris city hall.

One of the historic photos from the event shows Nadal carrying the torch at the start of the Olympics, receiving the Olympic flame from French world champion Zinedine Zidane. According to journalist Angel García of Cadena Cope, Nadal's role in the opening ceremony was planned over several months.

As athletes began parading with their delegations along the Seine River, images of Nadal from a balcony emerged. Some social media users criticized him for not being on the boat with the rest of the Spanish athletes, but journalist Angel García clarified the situation: “Rafa Nadal had another role in the ceremony and could not be on the Spanish boat,” he said.

“The French city hall contacted Nadal, telling him that he is an icon of Paris, part of its history, and one of the most important figures in the city's history,” the journalist added. “And as the most Parisian of international athletes, they wanted him to have a very significant role in the ceremony.”

The city hall's contact with Nadal happened months ago, and the 22-time Grand Slam champion kept it private, with only a few close associates knowing about his special role in the opening: “Rafa shared this with very few people, only the closest team members knew about it, and of course, he gladly accepted the honor. That's the story of how Nadal participated in the ceremony.”

“If anyone doubts that Rafa Nadal is one of the most important sports figures in the history of this city, I don’t know what they are looking at. The most Parisian of international athletes, who has Roland Garros as his garden. That’s what the Paris 2024 organization said today.”