French tennis chief calls Nadal T-shirt resales ‘a shame’

French Tennis Federation president Gilles Moretton said Monday it "is a shame" that some fans have been reselling commemorative T-shirts handed out during a tribute to Rafael Nadal at Roland Garros.

The shirts were given free to all 15,000 spectators at Court Philippe Chatrier on Sunday as part of a ceremony celebrating Nadal’s historic French Open career. The orange and white shirts, printed with the words “merci, Rafa” and the date “25/05/2025,” formed a mosaic in the stands spelling out “14 RG, Rafa,” referencing Nadal’s record 14 titles at the tournament.

Shortly after the event, some of the shirts were listed for sale on platforms including Vinted and Leboncoin, with asking prices ranging from 150 euros ($170) to 500 euros ($569).

“What do you want me to say, that we shouldn't have made them?” Moretton told a press conference on Monday.

“Some people are trying to make money out of it, with the 'Merci Rafa', the 'Thank You Rafa'.

“It's a bit of a shame, but we did not think of getting the T-shirts back at the end of the ceremony, that wouldn't have been right.

“I really appreciated the fact that about 98 percent of people wore the T-shirts to pay tribute to Rafa.

“It is because of the uniqueness of Roland Garros, something that hasn't been seen anywhere else, and this is precisely what has led people to want to buy these shirts at staggering prices.”

Nadal fought back tears during the tribute, which featured appearances from fellow tennis legends Roger Federer, Novak Djokovic, and Andy Murray.

The event marked what many believe to be Nadal’s final appearance at Roland Garros, where he has built one of the most dominant records in the history of the sport.