Nicolas Mahut's fairytale run at the French Open came to an emotional end on Friday as the tennis veteran waved goodbye to his time in the singles draw at Roland Garros amid heartwarming scenes.
Playing at his home grand slam, the 37-year-old Frenchman already had plenty of support but that only grew after a stunning opening round win over Marco Cecchinato, where he came back from two sets down to win in five before following that up with a straight sets victory over German stalwart Philipp Kohlschreiber.
But Mahut couldn't ride the wave forever and he was knocked out by Leonardo Mayer in a tense third round match the Argentine won 3-6 7-6 6-4 7-6.
The result didn't affect the crowd's appreciation for what Mahut managed to do over the opening week of the year's second major — giving him a standing ovation as he left the court.
The special reception came when Mahut's seven-year-old son Natanel ran onto the court to embrace his dad – like he has done after previous matches in Paris — as the world melted. Even Mayer stood and applauded, with some on social media speculating he had tears in his eyes himself.
