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Stade Roland Garros

Coordinates:48°50′50″N2°14′47″E/ 48.84722°N 2.24639°E/48.84722; 2.24639
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Stade Roland Garros
Court Philippe Chatrier in 2022, the complex's centerpiece and principal venue
Map
Location16th arrondissement,Paris, France
Public transitPorte d'AuteuilParis MétroParis Métro Line 10
Michel-Ange–MolitorParis MétroParis Métro Line 9Paris Métro Line 10
OwnerAdministration of Paris
Capacity15,000 (Court Philippe Chatrier)
10,068 (Court Suzanne Lenglen)
5,000 (Court Simonne Mathieu)
Surface"Clay"(see text)
Opened1928
Tenants
Fédération Française de Tennis

Stade Roland Garros(French pronunciation:[stadʁɔlɑ̃ɡaʁos];"Roland Garros Stadium" ) is a complex of tennis courts, including stadiums, located inParisthat hosts theFrench Open.That tournament, also known as Roland Garros, is aGrand Slamtennis championship played annually in late May and early June. The complex is named afterRoland Garros(1888–1918), a pioneering Frenchaviator,and was constructed in 1928 to host France's first defence of theDavis Cup.

The 13.5-hectare (34-acre) complex contains twenty courts,[1]including three large-capacity stadiums; Les Jardins de Roland Garros, a large restaurant and bar complex;[2]Le Village, the press and VIP area; France's National Training Centre (CNE); and theTenniseum,a bilingual, multimedia museum of the history of tennis.

Dedication[edit]

The facility is named afterRoland Garros,a pilot who completed the first solo flight across the Mediterranean Sea,[3]engineer (inventor of the first forward-firing aircraft machine gun),[4]and World War I hero who shot down four enemy aircraft (though popularly believed to be five).[5]Garros was killed in aerial combat in October 1918.

History[edit]

Monument in Place des Mousquetaires to France's string of Davis Cup victories (1927–1933). Stade Roland Garros was constructed to provide a venue for France's first successful Cup defense in 1928.

France was an important power in tennis during the first half of the 20th century due to the dominance ofSuzanne Lenglenduring the 1910s and 1920s, and les Quatre Mousquetaires ( "the Four Musketeers" )—Jacques "Toto" Brugnon,Jean Borotra(the "Bouncing Basque" ),Henri Cochet(the "Magician" ), andRené Lacoste(the "Crocodile" )—in the 1920s and 1930s. In 1927, France defeated the United States to win theDavis Cup,due largely to the Musketeers' efforts. Stade Roland Garros was constructed as a venue for France's successful defense the following year.[6]France retained the Cup until 1933, again largely because of the Musketeers. A monument to France's six Cup championships stands at the center of Place des Mousquetaires, a circular courtyard near the venue's entrance.[7]

In October 1939, shortly after the outbreak of World War II, the facility was used as a detention centre where "indésirables" —mostly Hungarians, Russians, Italians, Poles, and citizens suspected of being communists—were held pending imprisonment.[8]Journalist and former communistArthur Koestlerreported that at the time of his detention, posters advertising the last match prior to the outbreak of war, between Cochet and Borotra, were still in place.[9]

Playing surface[edit]

While the Stade Roland Garros surface is invariably characterized as "red clay", the courts are in fact surfaced with whitelimestonecovered with a few millimeters of powdered red brick dust. Beneath the 3-inch (7.6 cm) layer of porous limestone is 6 inches (15 cm) of volcanic rock, followed by 3 feet (91 cm) of sand, all of which rests on a slab of concrete. Crushed brick is pressed onto the limestone surface with rollers, then drenched in water. The process is repeated several times until a thin, compact layer coats each court. The crushed brick is deep enough to allow footprints and ball marks, but shallow enough to avoid making the court spongy or slippery. In tournament situations workers smooth the surface before matches and between sets by dragging rectangular lengths of chain-link across it. The red brick dust is replenished as needed (daily during major tournaments).[10]

The surface was a state-of-the art solution, in 1928, to the biggest problem with natural clay courts: poor drainage. At the time it was not unusual for clay surfaces to be unplayable for two to three days after even short periods of precipitation. The limestone/crushed brick combination, originally developed in Great Britain, played and looked similar to clay without clay's drainage issues, thus rendering natural clay obsolete as a tennis court surface.[11]Since then a multitude of other "fast-dry" and synthetic clay surfaces have been developed. Courts surfaced with these materials play much like natural clay surfaces and are collectively classified as "clay courts", despite the fact that few if any true clay courts have been built for almost a century. The diversity in composition of various "clay" surfaces around the world explains the extraordinary variability in their playing characteristics.Venus Williamshas said: "All clay courts are different. None play the same. [Roland Garros] plays the best."[10]

Stadium courts[edit]

Court Philippe Chatrier[edit]

Court Philippe Chatrier in 2023

CourtPhilippe Chatrierwas built in 1928 as Stade Roland Garros's centerpiece and remains its principal venue. It seats15,225 spectatorsas of a 2019 renovation.[12]The stadium was known simply as "Court Central" until 2001 when it was renamed for the long-time president of theFédération Française de Tennis(FFT) who helped restore tennis as aSummer Olympicssport in 1988.[13]

The four main spectator grandstands are named for les Quatre Mousquetaires—Brugnon, Borotra, Cochet, and Lacoste—in honor of their Davis Cup success, which prompted construction of the facility, and the stadium.[6]As a further tribute, the trophy awarded each year to the French Open men's singles champion is known asLa Coupe des Mousquetaires.[7]

After the completion of the2018 tournament,the stadium was demolished down to its foundations and rebuilt with steeper grandstands in time for the2019 tournament.[14]A retractable roof and floodlights were added in time for the2020 tournament,which was delayed to September of that year due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[15][16]

Court Suzanne Lenglen[edit]

Court Suzanne Lenglen with its new roof in 2024.

Built in 1994 and originally designated "Court A", CourtSuzanne Lenglenis the secondary stadium with a capacity of 10,068 spectators.[17]Its namesake, an international celebrity and the first true star of women's tennis, won 31 major tournaments, including six French Open titles and sixWimbledonchampionships, between 1914 and 1926. Known as La Divine (Divine One) and La Grand Dame (Great Lady) of French tennis, she won twoOlympic gold medalsin Antwerp in 1920. A bronzebas reliefof Lenglen by the Italian sculptor Vito Tongiani stands over the east tunnel-entrance to the stadium. The trophy awarded each year to the French Open women's singles champion is named La Coupe Suzanne Lenglen in her honor. The court has an underground irrigation system, the first of its kind, to control moisture levels within its surface.[7]

In 1994, the walkway between Court Chatrier and Court Lenglen was named AlléeMarcel Bernardin honor of the 1940s-era French champion who died that year.[7]A retractable roof that covers the court was installed in time for the2024 Summer Olympic Games.[18]It was inaugurated on 26 May 2024 on the occasion of the first day of the French Open tennis tournament. It is made up of two lateral structures measuring 100 meters by 20 meters, and a white canvas. The roof closes in 15 minutes. It is inspired by Suzanne Lenglen's pleated skirt, and the structure is equipped with photovoltaic panels.

Court Simonne Mathieu[edit]

CourtSimonne Mathieuin 2022

Stade Roland Garros's new 5,000-seat tertiary venue was completed in March 2019 on the grounds of theJardin des Serres d'Auteuil.[19][20]Its namesake,Simonne Mathieu,was the1938and1939women's singles champion who is also remembered as a leader of theFrench Resistanceduring the Second World War.[21]The court was constructed four meters below ground level with greenhouses on all four sides. It was built to replace Court 1, which was demolished.[22]

Court 1[edit]

Court 1 during the2019 tournament

Court 1, once the facility's tertiary venue and nicknamed the "Bullring" because of its circular shape, was demolished in 2019. Its architect,Jean Lovera,a former French junior champion, designed the 3,800-seat structure as a deliberate contrast to the adjacent, angular Court Philippe Chatrier. Built in 1980, the Bullring was a favorite among serious tennis fans because of its relatively small size and feeling of close proximity to the action.[23]An unusual design feature was its press seating in the first row at court level behind the south baseline.[24]

Court 1 was the scene of several memorable French Open upsets, such as unseededGustavo Kuerten's third-round victory over fifth-seeded former championThomas Musterin 1997, on his way to his first of three Open titles;[25]and third-seededGabriela Sabatini's defeat — after a 6–1, 5–1 lead and five match points — toMary Joe Fernandezin the1993 quarterfinals.[26]It was also the site ofMarat Safin's famous "dropped pants" match againstFélix Mantillain 2004.[27]

Demolition of Court 1 began shortly after conclusion of the2019 tournamentand inauguration of the new tertiary venue, Court Simonne Mathieu. In its place, a greatly enlarged Place des Mousquetaires was constructed, where spectators can watch matches on a large video screen.[21][28]

Tenniseum[edit]

French Tennis Federation Museum

Known officially as the Museum of the French Federation of Tennis, the Tenniseum was designed by the French architect Bruno Moinard and opened in May 2003. It is housed in a former groundsman's cottage, and comprises a multimedia center, media library, and permanent and temporary exhibits dedicated to the history of tennis in general, and the French Open in particular. Permanent exhibits include a display of the French Open perpetual trophies, including La Coupe des Mousquetaires and La Coupe Suzanne Lenglen; a narrative and photographic history of Stade Roland Garros; displays documenting the evolution of tennis attire through the years; a comprehensive collection of tennis racquets dating back to the mid-19th century; and a large exhibition of tennis-related photographs and paintings.[29]

The media library houses a diverse collection of documents, posters, books, and magazines, as well as a database of tennis information, statistics, trivia, and match summaries of all French Open tournament matches since 1928. The bilingual (French/English) multimedia center contains over 4,000 hours of digitized video, including documentaries, interviews with many of the sport's legendary players, and film archives dating from 1897 to the present. Tours are conducted daily. (Two per day, at 11:00am and 3:00pm, are in English.) During the French Open, the normal entry fee is waived for tournament ticket-holders.[30]

Expansion project[edit]

Original plans[edit]

Rafael Nadaldisplaying La Coupe des Mousquetaires after winning his second French Open title in 2006

In 2009 the FFT announced that it had commissioned the French architect Marc Mimram to design a significant expansion of Stade Roland Garros. On the current property, the proposal called for the addition of lights and aretractable roofover Court Philippe Chatrier. At the nearby Georges Hébert municipal recreation area, east of Stade Roland Garros at Porte d'Auteuil, a fourth stadium was planned with a retractable roof and 14,600 seating capacity, along with two smaller show courts with seating for 1,500 and 750.[31]

In 2010, faced with opposition to the proposed expansion from factions within the Paris City Council, the FFT announced that it was considering an alternate plan to move the French Open to a new, 55-court venue outside of Paris city limits. The three sites under consideration wereMarne-la-Vallée,the northern Paris suburb ofGonesse,and a vacant army base nearVersailles.[32]Amid charges of bluffing andbrinkmanship,a spokesman explained that because Stade Roland Garros was less than half the size of the other three Grand Slam venues and had no covered courts, the French Open was at risk of losing its Grand Slam status to Madrid—which has a long clay court tradition and larger facilities—or theGulf countries.[33][34]

In February 2011, the FFT voted to keep the tournament at Stade Roland Garros, citing the prohibitive expense ($630 million to $1 billion) of building a new venue from scratch versus a projected $370 million to carry out the proposed expansion.[35]Further details of the plan were announced in May 2013, including a complete rebuild of the Chatrier court on its existing foundations in addition to the new roof and lights, and a larger Place des Mousquetaires in the area occupied by Court 1. The new stadium at Porte d'Auteuil would be built below ground level, with greenhouses surrounding it on all four sides. Project deadlines were pushed back from 2016 to 2018. Local residents, wildlife enthusiasts and municipal authorities continued to voice opposition to the plan, which would increase the Stade Roland Garros grounds from 21 acres (8.5 hectares) to about 33.8 acres (13.5 hectares).[36]

Environmental concerns and delays[edit]

In February 2015 theMinistry of Ecologyissued a negative report, and the project was placed on hold pending completion of a new land use study for the City Council.[37][38]In June, Paris MayorAnne Hidalgoannounced that construction permits had been signed, with a new cost estimate of $450 million and completion delayed to 2019.[39]Opponents, who objected to the demolition of 2.5 acres (1 hectare) of greenhouses and biological gardens at theJardin des Serres d'Auteuilon the eastern border of the current ground,[40]proposed an alternate, northward expansion into theBois de Boulognethat would require covering a portion of the A13 highway.[41][42]Proponents of the eastward expansion argued that further delays would jeopardize Paris's bid for the2024 Summer Olympics.[43]

In December 2015, the Paris Administrative Court ordered suspension of reclamation work involving the Auteuil botanical garden greenhouses. In a statement, the FFT responded that the greenhouses would not be destroyed, and would, in fact, be embellished. FFT also noted that opponents of the eastward expansion "[did] not have good alternatives from the operational, legal and environmental point of view", and added that expansion into the Bois de Boulogne was impossible.[44]In February 2017, the last of the legal challenges were resolved and work resumed on the original eastward expansion plan.[45]

Resumption[edit]

Court Suzanne Lenglen in 2022

The new tournament organization building and Village, new courts 7 and 9, the expanded Place des Mousquetaires, and a new show court in the Fond des Princes area west of Court Lenglen were completed in time for the2018 Open.The Court des Serres, renamed Court Simonne Mathieu, was opened in March 2019, ready for the2019 tournament,as was the rebuilt Court Chatrier, with the retractable roof completed in time for the2020 tournament.[33][46][47]

In2021,the redevelopment of courts 2 and 3 and the renovation work at the Place des Mousquetaires were finished.[48]This included the inauguration of statues toRafael Nadal(who has won the French Open singles title a record 14 times), Roland Garros, and the "Four Musketeers" (Borotra, Brugnon, Cochet, and Lacoste).[49]In the same year, the tournament introduced night sessions on Court Philippe Chatrier for the first time in its history.[50]Court Suzanne Lenglen will have a retractable roof completed in time for the 2024 Summer Olympics.[51]

Location[edit]

Map of the modernized complex from 2023.

Stade Roland Garros is located at the western side of Paris, at the southern boundary of theBois de Boulognein Paris's16th arrondissement.The triangular property is bounded by Avenue Porte d'Auteuil andA13 autorouteon the north and Boulevard d'Auteuil on the south. The eastern boundary is AvenueGordon Bennettand the adjacentJardin des Serres d'Auteuil.

Transportation[edit]

The closestMétrostations arePorte d'Auteuil(Line 10) andMichel-Ange–Molitor(Line 9,Line 10), to the north- and southeast respectively.

  • Bus:Routes 22, 32, 52, 62, 72, 123, 241 and PC1
  • Vélib':Stations 16 034, 16 035 and 16 036

A special Stade Roland Garros taxi stand operates in May and June during the French Open on the southeast corner of the venue grounds, at the corner of Robert Schuman Avenue and Auteuil Boulevard.

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^"Roland Garros – Paris".Archived fromthe originalon 30 May 2010.
  2. ^Eating Your Way Through Roland Garros.Gem Tennis.Retrieved 2010-08-17.
  3. ^Who's Who—Roland Garros.FirstWorldWar.comRetrieved 2011-08-03
  4. ^"Early Developments"WWIAviation.comArchived14 August 2017 at theWayback MachineRetrieved 2011-08-03
  5. ^Franks, Norman; Bailey, Frank W. (1992).Over the Front: A Complete Record of the Fighter Aces and Units of the United States and French Air Services, 1914–1918.Grub Street.ISBN978-0-948817-54-0..
  6. ^abA Visit to Roland Garros.Colleen's ParisRetrieved 2010-08-16.
  7. ^abcdStade Roland Garros Venues.rolandgarros.comArchived1 June 2010 at theWayback MachineRetrieved 2010-08-17.
  8. ^Koestler, Arthur (1941).Scum of the Earth.London: Eland. pp.61–91.ISBN978-0-907871-49-1.
  9. ^Koestler, Arthur (1941).Scum of the Earth.London: Eland. p.85.ISBN978-0-907871-49-1.
  10. ^abBranch, John (28 May 2010)."Some Rouge Dresses Up Courts at Roland Garros".The New York Times.Retrieved11 June2015.
  11. ^Lavallee, Andrew R."Clay Courts: What Are They Anyway?".XSports.com.Archived fromthe originalon 27 November 2013.Retrieved11 June2015.
  12. ^"French Open in numbers".Reuters.25 September 2020.Retrieved28 September2020.
  13. ^"Philippe-Chatrier Court".Roland-Garros.Retrieved11 June2015.
  14. ^"Roland Garros renovation entering 'money time' before French Open".France 24.21 February 2019.
  15. ^"French Open lights up as another tradition dies".tennishead.net.21 September 2020.
  16. ^Christopher Clarey (27 September 2020)."New for This Pandemic French Open: Fall Weather and Lights".The New York Times.
  17. ^Event Guide / Map and DirectionsArchived1 June 2010 at theWayback MachineRoland Garros – French Open
  18. ^Michael Houston (3 January 2023)."Court Suzanne Lenglen in Paris to receive cover for new roof in time for 2024 Olympics".Inside The Games.
  19. ^Eric Bruna (21 March 2019)."Roland-Garros: découvrez le nouveau court Simonne-Mathieu".Le Parisien(in French).
  20. ^Paul Myers (19 April 2019)."French Open courts glory of Simonne Mathieu".Radio France Internationale.
  21. ^ab"Court Simonne-Mathieu stunning new addition to Roland Garros".The Independent.26 May 2019.Archivedfrom the original on 24 May 2022.Retrieved1 October2019.
  22. ^Eric Le Mitouard (7 February 2019)."Roland-Garros: le court des serres est prêt pour le prochain tournoi".Le Parisien(in French).
  23. ^Tignor, Steve (27 May 2010): Nothing Compares to Tennis in the Bullring.NBC SportsArchived1 July 2010 at theWayback MachineRetrieved 2010-08-17.
  24. ^Clarey, Christopher"At Roland Garros, an Olé! for the Bullring"New York Times,29 May 2010
  25. ^Robin Finn (31 May 1997)."Sampras and Muster Exit in Paris".The New York Times.Retrieved11 June2015.
  26. ^Fernandez Turns Rout into Rousing Comeback (2 June 1993).New YorkTimesRetrieved 2010-08-19.
  27. ^"Safin on mooning crowd: 'What's bad about it?".ESPN. 29 May 2004.Retrieved11 June2015.
  28. ^Steve Tignor (5 June 2018)."Au revoir, Court 1: memorializing Roland Garros' exhilarating bullring".Tennis.com.
  29. ^"Tenniseum website".Archived fromthe originalon 25 August 2010.
  30. ^"Tenniseum website".Archived fromthe originalon 25 August 2010.
  31. ^Meeting Modern Demands.Stade Roland Garros official web site.Retrieved 14 July 2015.
  32. ^John Martin (22 May 2010)."French Officials Consider Relocation Options for the Open".The New York Times.Retrieved11 June2015.
  33. ^abExpansion of Roland Garros Aims to Preserve Parisian Style.Newsweek(25 May 2017), retrieved 31 May 2017.
  34. ^"French Open May Have to leave Paris".June 2010.Retrieved29 March2015.
  35. ^"French Open staying at Roland Garros".ESPN. 13 February 2011.
  36. ^Clarey C (28 May 2013): "Renovation Plans in Limbo, Roland Garros Faces Future".NYTimes.com.Retrieved 29 May 2013
  37. ^"Modernization Project Threatened".Retrieved29 March2015.
  38. ^"The Misunderstanding of the French Tennis Federation".Retrieved29 March2015.
  39. ^"Roland Garros Revamp Gets Green Light".NDTV. 10 June 2015.Retrieved11 June2015.
  40. ^Nerves Fray Over New French Open Stadium Plans (22 May 2015).New York Timesarchive.Retrieved 11 June 2015.
  41. ^Roland-Garros: A Counter-Proposal by the Associations.The Art Tribune.Retrieved 11 June 2015.
  42. ^Clarey, Christopher (26 May 2010)."Roland Garros Deals With Growing Pains".The New York Times.Retrieved29 March2015.
  43. ^"Roland Garros renovation on hold".18 March 2015.Retrieved29 March2015.
  44. ^"French Federation to Appeal against Roland Garros´ Modernization suspension!".Tennis World. 26 March 2016.
  45. ^Christopher Clarey (25 May 2017)."The new Roland Garros is on its way".The New York Times.
  46. ^Roland Garros Expansion, Roof over Chatrier Set to ProceedTennis Now(3 February 2017), retrieved 30 May 2017.
  47. ^New Stadium Project.RolandGarros.com, retrieved 31 May 2017.
  48. ^"Travaux d'extension à Roland-Garros: livraison en 2021".Le Dauphiné libéré(in French). 23 May 2018.
  49. ^"STATUE IN HONOUR OF RAFA UNVEILED AT RG".rolandgarros.com.Paris. 27 May 2021.Retrieved2 June2021.
  50. ^Cambers, Simon (31 May 2021)."2021 French Open: Serena Williams lights up tournament's first-ever night session".ESPN.Retrieved2 June2021.
  51. ^"ROLAND-GARROS 2024: A RETRACTABLE ROOF ON COURT SUZANNE-LENGLEN".rolandgarros.com.Paris. 1 June 2021.Retrieved2 June2021.

External links[edit]

Wikimedia Commons has media related toStade Roland-Garros.
Preceded by
Germantown Cricket Club
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
 Davis Cup
Final Venue
1928•1929•1930•1931•1932•1933 		Succeeded by
Preceded by
Blau-Weiss T.C.
West Berlin
 Fed Cup
Final Venue
1968 		Succeeded by

48°50′50″N2°14′47″E/ 48.84722°N 2.24639°E/48.84722; 2.24639

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