Rafael Nadal and Serena Williams stole the spotlight during the lighting of the Olympic cauldron at the opening ceremony of the 2024 Paris Olympics on Friday night.
Nadal, a Parisian tennis legend with 14 of his 22 Grand Slam titles won at Roland Garros, received the Olympic flame from French football icon Zinedine Zidane. Nadal then set sail on a boat along the Seine River, accompanied by Williams, nine-time gold medalist Carl Lewis, and five-time gold medalist Nadia Comaneci.
The group passed the torch to French tennis star and Roland Garros tournament director Amélie Mauresmo, who carried it to the Louvre. French judoka Teddy Riner and former track and field star Marie-Josée Pérec were then honored with the task of lighting the distinctive cauldron, designed to resemble an ascending balloon in homage to the Montgolfier brothers’ first flight in 1783.
Nadal, who has previously won Olympic gold in singles (2008) and doubles (2016 with Marc Lopez), will kick off his Olympic campaign on Saturday as he partners with Carlos Alcaraz in the doubles event.
