Paris, May 2025 – in the heart of Roland Garros, where legends are forged on whipped land, an emotional ceremony took place that paid tribute to an unrepeatable figure of tennis: Rafael Nadal. But between speeches, tears and applause, an unexpected moment moved the Spanish champion and all attendees. A forgotten story of the past resurfaced strongly … A story that began exactly 20 years ago, in 2005.
It was 2005 and Rafael Nadal, a young man of just 18, participated for the first time in Roland Garros. That year would make history when raising their first trophy in Paris, but few remember a peculiar incident that occurred during one of their first games in the tournament.
During a powerful exchange from the bottom of the track, Rafa hit a ball with such strength and effect that he bounced unpredictably and ended up impacting the heads of two gathering… which turned out to be twins. The stadium was silent for a few seconds that seemed eternal, until both girls, a little stunned but without serious injuries, stood up among shy laugh. Nadal, visibly worried, interrupted the game, ran towards them and personally accompanied the locker room to make sure they were fine.
That gesture, which went unnoticed for many, was not forgotten by the protagonists: Clara and Camille Morel, two 14 -year -old Parisian sisters who worked as collecting during their school vacations.
During the Honor Ceremony to Rafael Nadal held at Roland Garros this 2025, many expected great surprises: appearances of exrival such as Federer, Djokovic or Murray, tributes by world tennis authorities and even messages of young stars such as Alcaraz and Sinner.
But no one expected the appearance of Clara and Camille Morel, now two adult, elegant and radiant women, who walked towards the center of the track between applause of the public. They wore white costumes with discreet embroidery of the silhouette of a tennis ball with the date “2005” and carried in their hands two small wooden boxes.
Nadal, seeing them, frowned for a moment, until the memory hit him strongly. By recognizing them, his face completely changed: a mixture of surprise, tenderness and pure emotion. The cameras captured how the Mallorcan put his hand in his chest while his eyes were filled with tears.
Upon arriving in Rafa, Clara spoke first: “20 years have passed since that day that marked our lives. Thanks to you, we met the goodness, humanity and greatness not only of the tennis player, but of the person.”
Then, Camille opened one of the boxes. Inside, a worn tennis ball, signed by the two twins and accompanied by a note:“Thank you for taking care of us when no one else did”. In the second box, a miniature replica of the Roland Garros trophy, but with the name “Humanitarian Rafa” recorded.
The entire stadium stood up. Nadal, unable to contain emotion, hugged the two women with force. “I can’t believe it … this means more than any trophy,” he said in tears.
Social networks exploded in minutes. The history of the twin collects, until then unknown to the majority of the public, quickly went viral. On Twitter, the hashtags #gemelasderafa, #Rafa2025 and #heartampeon became a worldwide trend. Even Roger Federer published an image of the moment with the text:“This is what makes Rafa great, far beyond tennis”.
Djokovic, on the other hand, said in a press conference: “I always admired Rafa for his claw, but today I admire him even more for his heart. That gesture, that story … is something that only he could inspire.”
Clara and Camille explained later that this moment in 2005 changed their lives. “After the tournament, Rafa sent us letters asking how we were and encouraged us to follow our dreams. Today we are sports teachers, and every year we tell our students to talk about respect, humility and empathy,” Camille said.
Nadal, with his usual humility, simply said: “I only did what I felt at that time. I never imagined that those girls would return me so much 20 years later.”
And so, on a night designed to celebrate titles, trophies and records, it was a story of humanity and gratitude that ended up stealing everyone’s heart.
