👋 Welcome back to The Daily Theory, our morning rundown to help you stay on top of your favorite sport. I’m Allen McDuffee, your guide to all things tennis.

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On tap today: Rafa Nadal says goodbye to Roland-Garros, Richard Gasquet prepares for his ending, Ben Shelton survives the first night match, plus more in today’s tennis news.

Let’s tennis!

Three Points

🎾 The end is actually here: Months had passed since Rafael Nadal played his final professional match. Still, there was an uneasiness among fans of the sport — especially Nadal superfans — in the absence of a proper send-off of one of tennis’s most beloved players, to speak nothing of his greatness. That all changed on Sunday with one of the most brilliant tributes sport has ever seen.

For the better part of an hour, on Court Philippe-Chatrier, Nadal said goodbye to Roland-Garros — and Roland-Garros said goodbye to their champion. Surrounded by a sea of shirts in the color of clay, 15,000 fans, family members, staffers, and players hung on Nadal’s every word, as he moved from French to Spanish to English, trying to manage his emotions in each. The moment intensified when the Big Four were reunited on the court. But it became too much for all when a permanent plaque with Nadal’s footprint was revealed near the net post on the stage where he won the title 14 times — a record that deserves to remain untouched by a player who, on clay, was untouchable.

🎾 The end is near: In what could be his final match, Richard Gasquet faces fellow French wild card Terence Atmane on Monday. It’s been a long wind-up to this moment after Gasquet announced his retirement from tennis in October of last year. But after a 23-year career, perhaps a lengthy runway is warranted for the 38-year-old. There have already been a number of goodbyes, as half of his subsequent tournaments have taken him throughout his homeland. Now, Paris is the final stop.

  • What he said: In a recent interview with Roland-Garros Magazine, when asked if he regretted playing in the legendary era he found himself a part of, Gasquet replied: “A bit...I think there was perhaps a chance to do something amazing before this era, between 1998 and 2005, I think the bar wasn’t so high back then. Juan Martin Del Potro, Stan Wawrinka and Marin Cilic managed to win a Grand Slam since the rise of the Big Four [Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer, Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray], but it was tough to make your mark. It was brutal.”

🎾 Nearly an early exit: In one of our Unfortunate First Rounds, Ben Shelton required five sets to dispatch a tricky opponent — especially on clay — in Lorenzo Sonego. Throughout the match, Shelton displayed elements of true clay court brilliance, but also his discomfort on the surface. The match-up proved to be a battle worthy of the sole prime time slot.

  • What he said: “I thought it was a typo at first and that I was actually on court 7,” Shelton said after that match. “For me, the slams are my favorite four tournaments, and playing on the stadium courts is a real honor, it’s really special.” He added: “To get a win in the fashion that I did in five sets late at night is a dream come true. I’m really looking forward to the second round after this one...It was my first time playing a five-setter on clay, and my body felt it a bit for sure.”
  • Next: Shelton will face Hugo Gaston of France in the next round.