PARIS — The reception, applause and tears could have gone on for hours. On Thursday, after Richard Gasquet’s second-round defeat to Jannik Sinner, yet another beloved son of Roland Garros was being honored as one of its own, in his final act on the tennis court.

Court Philippe-Chatrier was united in its admiration for Gasquet, 38. It was an outpouring of love and nostalgia for a man who arrived on the scene at 15, and stepped away without the silverware expected, but with one of the most wondrous backhands we’ll ever see.

Later in the day, Gael Monfils, also 38, was unleashing his bag of magic tricks against Jack Draper, a player 16 years his junior. Fans at Chatrier were mesmerised by Monfils — the last man standing of the Gasquet, Giles Simon, Jo-Wilfried Tsonga quartet — willing one of their favorite sons to somehow conjure another memorable win on their home court. A flick of Monfils’ wrist could turn the place into a deafening din of French adoration.

There’s no need to look at the scoreboard to know when a French player is on court. That small part of Roland Garros turns into a greenhouse of tricolor fervor. You hear “La Marseillaise” drifting across the grounds, and chants of “Allez Les Bleus.” But to be truly loved at Roland Garros, as a foreigner, takes time. For Rafael Nadal, it took two decades’ worth of titles, sweat and tears to earn a statue and a plaque on Chatrier.

“I think the French people have a strong feeling for the country — a strong national sentiment,” former Spanish tennis player Feliciano López told ESPN. “I think for someone who’s not French, it takes a long time to earn this affection. I don’t know if it’ll take 14 years, or 14 titles, but it’s going to be very difficult for someone not French.”

There’s respect for past champions. But even though Iga Swiatek has four titles here, and is nearly a third of the way toward Nadal’s jaw-dropping 14, it doesn’t feel as though she has been adopted as one of their own. After her Round 2 match against Emma Raducanu, in her on-court postmatch interview, there was an eerie silence after her first answer. She waved her arms, as much to say “Hello?” and the crowd responded with a cheer.

Her tennis is one of focus. She’s locked in, and rarely shows emotion. It’s her way, and why she’s incredible. The fans seem to have admiration and wonder of Swiatek’s dominance, but you feel they’re still learning to love her here. Coco Gauff, Aryna Sabalenka and Mirra Andreeva are popular, but each needs a Roland Garros title to start the journey to being adopted by the crowd here. Only Nadal, even in retirement, still has this place in the palm of his hand.

We’re in the post-Nadal twilight zone, yet his presence here is everywhere: from the photos adorning the courts, to the Nadal caps, to the random nostalgic shouts of “Vamos Rafa!” One year after retirement, another ceremony was held in his honor last Sunday, with that permanent tribute — Nadal’s footprint — added next to the net post on Chatrier.

But even Nadal had to earn that love.

“I always felt respected, but it’s true that in the first couple of years, I felt the crowd wanted Roger [Federer] to win,” Nadal said Sunday. “In some way, they wanted me to lose, probably because they felt that if I lose here, Roger would have a better chance. Roger won in 2009. After that, I think they started treating me completely differently. I can’t thank the crowd enough for what they did for me in Paris. … And I think they felt how much I love Paris and Roland Garros.”

Sitting in the crowd for Nadal’s farewell were Swiatek and Carlos Alcaraz, the reigning French Open champions. Alcaraz could be the man who challenges Nadal’s crown, but not yet. He was asked after his first-round match if he can ever imagine winning 14 titles. “It’s something you can’t think about … I mean, just one man on the planet was able to do it, and I can’t imagine [doing it].”

And then there are the others breaking through on the men’s side. No one has had more interest at Roland Garros this past week than Brazilian 18-year-old Joao Fonseca. The lines for his first two matches were hundreds deep. Spectators snaked around the outside court, hoping to catch a glimpse of the wunderkind. One couple had flown from Brazil to take in what they hoped was his second-round match. They snapped up as many tickets as possible across the courts just to be safe.

Arthur Fils is also growing his fan base here. But again, like Gasquet, Monfils, Simon and Tsonga, he benefits from being a home hope. He has the personality and ability to step into their void as the beloved darling of Roland Garros, but not in the same way as Nadal.

“With Rafa, it was a different case: His personality, his charisma — I think they adopted him as a son of Paris,” Lopez said. “What’s happened here at Roland Garros with Nadal won’t happen again. I don’t think we’ll see anyone winning 14 times for sure, and no other player will earn the affection of the people like he has.”

Talking to spectators here, to be truly loved as an outsider, there seems to be a common theme: longevity, an ability to overcome adversity and an appreciation for Roland Garros. Somehow, Nadal encapsulated all of those traits.

In his news conference after his farewell, Nadal was asked whether he thought anybody would match his record here.

“At the end, I want to be remembered as a guy that people are happy when I come back to the places to see me again, you know. That’s the important thing,” Nadal said. “To win 14 Grand Slams in the same place, here in Roland Garros, that can happen. But you need some luck, too. But going to take a while, at least 30 more years.”