Roland Garros to pay tribute to clay king Nadal after end of an era

The Spaniard's dominance on the Paris clay is surely unsurpassed by any other athlete at any single arena, an astonishing record which reads: Played 116 matches, won 112.

PRINCE OF PARIS: Nadal won 112 of his 116 matches at Roland Garros before calling time on his career last year. Pic: Peter Byrne/PA Wire.

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.