Rafael Nadal, who has won the Roland Garros a record 14 times, is believed to have a special place in the hearts of his fans in France and especially in Paris. However, few are aware that there was a period when the crowd at the tournament booed the Spaniard.
In 2009, Nadal lost his first-ever Roland Garros match to the former Swedish player Robin Soderling in the fourth round. What stunned the Spaniard was how the crowd reacted in that match. Deciding to side with Soderling, the Paris crowd booed Nadal, who had already won four French Open titles by then, from 2005-2008.
Not liking how the crowd reacted, Rafa’s uncle Toni Nadal, in a conversation with the Spanish radio station Cadena Ser, said that the Parisian crowd was ‘stupid.’
“There is only one set of supporters that is worse than the French, and that is the Parisians. They say it themselves and it’s true, the Parisian crowd is pretty stupid.”
He speculated that the French population did not want a Spaniard to win. He added,
“I think the French don’t like it when a Spaniard wins. Wanting someone to lose is a slightly conceited way of amusing yourself. They show the stupidity of people who think themselves superior.”
Just a few weeks before the French Open, Nadal defeated Soderling in Rome by a 6-1, 6-0 scoreline. But the Swedish player was in a different form altogether in the Grand Slam and caused a major upset.
When the fourth set went into a tiebreaker, the Paris crowd got excited at the thought of Nadal being defeated on French soil for the first time. This excitement may explain why their loyalties shifted, and they decided to support the Swedish player instead.
Another possible reason could be the growing love for Roger Federer, who was at the peak of his career at that time.
Roger Federer’s growing support extends to Paris
The French crowd had a soft spot for the Swiss maestro, hoping he would dominate on the one surface where he had yet to win. That same year, Federer was finally able to claim his first and only French Open title, completing his Grand Slam collection.
But times have changed as Rafa’s career flourished. With him winning ten more French Open titles in the next 15 years, the love for him only grew in the hearts of Paris tennis fans.
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Nadal has rightfully earned the ‘King of Clay’ title. His unrivaled supremacy on clay courts, along with his unyielding spirit, has enabled Nadal to etch his name in the Grand Slam’s history.
