By Rafael Nadal’s emotional message to tennis star Alize Cornet moved the French ace to tears. Nadal was reacting to the news that Cornet will retire from the sport following the French Open.
First taking to the court almost 20 years ago, Cornet has been a fixture on the WTA Tour ever since. Making her Grand Slam debut aged just 15 years old at Roland-Garros, the now 34-year-old revealed her two-decade-long stint as a professional will end at the same event later this year.
Unsurprisingly, Cornet was flooded with messages, but none appeared to strike a chord as much as Nadal’s. Cornet was visibly in shock when she was presented with a video message from the 22-time Grand Slam winner during an interview with Canal+. “Bonjour Alize, I just want to congratulate you for an amazing career,” the Spaniard said.
“I just want to wish you the very best for whatever you decide to do in the future. You’re going to be – for sure – doing very well, but it’s your day, enjoy and all the best for the future, congratulations.”
An equal parts ecstatic and emotional Cornet was left in disbelief by the message, with the Nice-born star sobbing into her hand as a result. Attention will now switch to her final Grand Slam – and WTA event – appearance in Paris next month.
While she’s currently ranked No.107 in the world, it’s expected Cornet will be handed a wildcard spot in the main draw. It will be the 20th time she’s featured at the French Open, with Cornet also holding the Open Era record for the most consecutive Grand Slam appearances (68).
On the announcement, Cornet told Canal +: “I have a very special announcement to make to you. I will play my last Roland-Garros in a month and I will retire immediately. It’s the right time because it’s the result of a long journey… I just feel like it’s time. I don’t want to be pushed out, I want to choose. And it’s the right time for me to say goodbye to tennis.”
French Open qualifying begins on 20th May, with the main draw kicking off on 26th May. Both Cornet and Nadal will be hoping for deep runs at the competition, with the women’s final being held on 8th June, while the men’s tournament concludes on 9th June.
