THOMAS COEX/AFP via Getty Images

Rafael Nadal's Shirt from 2005 French Open Win Could Sell for $100K at Auction

Adam Wells

The shirt Rafael Nadal wore during his first French Open win in 2005 is up for auction.

Prestige Memorabilia has listed the sleeveless t-shirt Nadal wore for the quarterfinal, semifinal and final 19 years ago at Roland Garros with a starting bid of $25,000.

Per TMZ Sports, the shirt is expected to sell for $100,000 when the bidding ends on Aug. 4.

It was authenticated using resolution photomatching, and is "by far the earliest" photomatched Nadal item that has been put up for auction.

Nadal had a breakout season in 2005. His 11 singles titles were his most during a calendar year in his legendary career.

The 2005 French Open marked the first time Nadal advanced past the fourth round at a Grand Slam event. It was notable for several reasons, including being the first time he went head-to-head with Roger Federer in a major tournament.

Nadal defeated Federer in four sets in the semifinal to reach the final. He went on to beat Mariano Puerta in the final to capture the first of his 22 Grand Slam titles and 14 French Open titles.

The win over Puerta came two days after Nadal's 19th birthday. He remains the fifth-youngest men's player to win a Grand Slam singles title.

Nadal previously said the 2024 season would be last as a professional player, but he has yet to announce when his final tournament will be. The Spanish star didn't rule out playing in the French Open next year prior to his first-round match against Alexander Zverev in May.

The 38-year-old is currently playing in the Nordea Open in his final tune-up for the Olympics.

   

Read 1 Comments

Download the app for comments Get the B/R app to join the conversation

Install the App
×
Bleacher Report
(120K+)