Tennis Star Rafael Nadal Stops By Disneyland Paris After Being Honored at Roland-Garros
This is the latest in a long line of sports moments at the Disney Parks
Rafael Nadal, recently honored with a farewell tribute at the 2025 French Open, stopped by nearby Disneyland Paris during his visit for the first time ever with his family.
What’s Happening:
- Rafael Nadal, a Spanish professional tennis player widely regarded as one of the greatest and most accomplished athletes in the history of the sport, was recently honored at Roland-Garros, a name synonymous with the French Open.
- As part of this, Nadal chose to spend some time at the nearby Disneyland Paris with his friends and family, visiting the landmark for the very first time.
- As part of the fun, Nadal and his loved ones experienced the Disney Music Festival and ended the day with Disney Tales of Magic - the new nighttime show at Disneyland Paris.
- Also, peep Mickey Mouse in his tennis gear - which he wore especially for the occasion.
What They’re Saying:
- Rafael Nadal: A few days ago, I was extremely touched by the farewell I received at Roland Garros. I finished saying Thank You France and Thank You Paris and difficult to say more than that. Paris is always in my heart and as part of that Disneyland Paris has also been special. The magical moment continued, and it had to be once again at one of my favorite places. Thank you for the great time you allowed me to have with my family to put a beautiful end to what, once again, was a very special moment for me."
The Sport of Park Hopping:
- Disney Parks has a long legacy of athletes visiting the parks after a triumphant moment in their career.
- This happens annually stateside, with the Super Bowl MVPs visiting either Disneyland or Walt Disney World after their win and participating in a celebratory parade - a tradition that dates back to 1987.
- Notably, Olympians have also visited and celebrated in the same way or even more. In 2004, an Olympic Sized swimming pool was built right down the middle of Main Street USA at Disneyland. There, athletes (including an early Michael Phelps) would swim down Main Street alongside Junior Olympians.
- On the other hand, an infamous moment took place in 1994 when Nancy Kerrigan, fresh off her silver medal win in that year’s Olympics, was caught on a hot microphone saying to Mickey Mouse during her parade, “This is dumb. I hate it. This is the corniest thing I have ever done." Reportedly, she later said the comment was taken out of context and was not commenting on the experience, but rather the fact that her agent insisted on her wearing her silver medal during the parade, adding that her parents had always taught her to not show off or brag about her accomplishments.
Laughing Place recommends MouseFanTravel.com for all your Disney travel planning
Fill out the form below for a free, no obligation quote from MouseFanTravel.com