Watch: Rafael Nadal gets honor typically given to Olympic host athletes

The lighting of the Olympic torch Friday night was a gathering of some of the biggest stars in French sports history, with the likes of Zinedine Zidane, Tony Parker, Victor Wembanyama, Charles Coste, Marie-Jose Perec and Teddy Riner all participating in the festivities.

However, in a unique moment, the last athlete who received the torch was not a Frenchman at all. Rafael Nadal, a Spaniard with a deep-rooted connection to France due to his 14 Roland Garros titles, was the one who received the Olympic flame from Zidane before boarding a boat on the Seine. Once on the ship, the tennis legend was joined by Serena Williams, Carl Lewis and Nadia Comaneci, who ultimately handed the torch to Amelie Mauresmo, who carried the flame to the Louvre.

Nadal thanked the city of Paris through several social media posts.

Nadal — a former Olympic gold medalist in singles (2008) and doubles (2016 with Marc Lopez) — is attempting to win another medal at the 2024 Paris Olympics, his likely last appearance at the Games. The 38-year-old will team up with his protege, Carlos Alcaraz, in doubles action as part of Team Spain. The pair will face Argentina's Andres Molteni and Maximo Gonzalez in the first round on Sunday.

As for his singles draw, Nadal could match up with longtime rival Novak Djokovic in the second round if the two advance past the first round. Nadal will face Hungary's Marton Fucsovics in the opener.