It is one of the most famous, spine-tingling introductions in sport.

“Deux mille cinq, deux mille six, deux mille sept, deux mille huit…” the roll call goes on, stadium announcer Marc Maury reeling off 14 of the last 20 years at the French Open.

The numbers reach a crescendo, almost drowned out by the cheers from an adoring crowd, before Maury concludes, simply: “From Spain, Rafael Nadal!”

Roland Garros 2025 marks two decades since Nadal won his first title here, three years since he claimed French Open nombre quatorze – his 22nd and final grand slam victory overall – and will be the first to take place since he retired.

His was a dominance on the Paris clay that is surely unsurpassed by any other athlete at any single arena, an astonishing record which reads: Played 116 matches, won 112.

Of his 14 finals – he never lost one – Nadal’s first title came on his debut as a 19-year-old, the green muscle-vested left-hander beating Argentinian Mariano Puerta in four sets.

In the next three he vanquished Roger Federer, the third a chastening 6-1 6-3 6-0 defeat for the otherwise untouchable Swiss.

There was a revenge win over Robin Soderling – who a year earlier became the first man to defeat Nadal at Roland Garros – in 2010, and Federer fell by the wayside again 12 months later.

Over the next decade, Nadal downed Novak Djokovic four times, Dominic Thiem twice, David Ferrer and Stan Wawrinka, before his final win over Casper Ruud in 2022, achieved with no feeling in his left foot.

Only then did Nadal reveal he had suffered with Mueller-Weiss syndrome, a degenerative bone condition, in his foot throughout his career.

It was a hip injury which kept him out in 2023, but he returned last year for one last dance, way off the peak of his powers but still hoping he had enough in his deep well of reserves to perhaps get through a couple of rounds and then, maybe, just maybe…

But Nadal, unseeded, was unfortunate to run into the in-form then world number four Alexander Zverev of Germany in the opening round.

The Majorcan had told tournament organisers that he did not want a farewell ceremony, but it seemed no one had got the memo.

The seats behind the players’ boxes were crammed with current stars including Carlos Alcaraz – Nadal’s heir apparent – long-time rival Djokovic and four-time women’s champion Iga Swiatek.

Also in attendance were Nadal’s wife Xisca, who rarely watched his matches, baby son Rafael Jr and uncles Toni – his former coach – and Miguel Angel, the ex-Spain footballer.

There were still flashes of the old brilliance; a rat-a-tat volley exchange in the first set, a drop shot from three feet behind the baseline in the second and a flashing forehand winner to clinch a break at the start of the third.

But a slow start had cost Nadal a break in the opening game which he never retrieved, while Zverev was too strong in the tie-break and held his nerve down the final straight in a 6-3 7-6 6-3 win, the German adding his name to those of Soderling and Djokovic – twice – as the only players to ever knock Nadal out.

The tributes flooded in, and plenty more will follow when a ceremony is held in Nadal’s honour on the Philippe-Chatrier Court, on Sunday.

“He will not be playing this year at Roland Garros, but he will be very present by our side for this 2025 edition,” said tournament director Amelie Mauresmo.

It promises to be an emotion-charged evening, not least because Maury gets the chance to deliver that intro one last time.