Rafael Nadal had to be protected by security guards at the French Open yesterday after a protester against gay marriages ran on to the court during the men’s final.

The man, who was stripped to the waist, wearing a mask and carrying a flare, was bundled to the ground by guards.

The incident followed a protest against same-sex marriage by accomplices in the stands.

After the intruder was led away, Nadal shook hands with his bodyguard before resuming play and beating fellow Spaniard David Ferrer to win his eighth French Open title.

On his back, the half-naked demonstrator displayed the name of the protest group Hommen, which has become increasingly vocal against same-sex marriages.

The issue has caused uproar in France after president Francois Hollande legalised gay marriages last month – the 13th country in the world to do so.

Hommen are demanding a referendum on the new law, claiming that it undermines the sanctity of  the family, and thousands have attended protest marches all over the country.

Nadal admitted he had initially been frightened, saying: ‘It was a very quick moment. I felt a little bit scared at the first moment because I didn’t see what was going on.

‘I just turned and I saw a guy with some fire, so I got a little bit scared at the first second. But then I saw that it’s one of those things that nobody can prevent.

‘I just can say thank you very much to all the security guys. They did amazing work. They were very quick and they were very courageous.’

A spokeswoman for the France Tennis Federation said: ‘The incident is over and is now in the hands of the police.’

Nadal’s PR representative Benito Perez Barbadillo tweeted: ‘When are they going to stop mixing politics and sport? Left, right, center, they are all the same. Leave us alone!’