Paris honours Nadal after his 11th French Open victory

Paris, June 11 (IANS): The city of Paris paid tribute to Spanish tennis great Rafael Nadal on Monday, a day after he won his record-extending 11th French Open title.

Hours after thrashing Austria’s Dominic Thiem in straight sets, Nadal was playfully quizzed by Paris Mayor Anne Higaldo about a potential 12th French Open title, reports Efe.

Nadal replied modestly, saying “We’ll see what may happen next year. Now, we cannot think that hard. We have to be satisfied with what happened, and when time has passed we’ll start thinking again about what might happen next year.”

The 17-time Grand Slam champion expressed his gratitude for the support he felt in the French capital, adding that winning his previous ten titles was already “incredible.”

During the reception held at the City Council and attended by Nadal’s family, Higaldo presented a plaque with the champion’s handprints on it, cast in the same reddish clay colour as the French Open courts.

The mayor said the plaque will be displayed in a yet-to-be-decided sports facility, and praised Nadal as both a human being and a champion.