Expansion aims to preserve Parisian style

After years of legal battles the French Open has begun to expand its facilities, hoping to match other grand slam events — including having a roof over Centre Court to banish weather delays — while preserving its Parisian pizzazz.

Roland Garros lags behind the other three grand slams in terms of covered courts — the Australian Open has a roof over three courts, the US Open will have a second roof by 2018 and Wimbledon will add a second one by 2019.

The French Open has none, which has had an adverse effect on revenue from television rights since, with a court roof, play is guaranteed no matter how bad the weather may get. The expanded Roland Garros — which is the only grand slam event played on clay — will be delivered in 2019 with the roof over centre court available by 2020, according to Jean-Francois Martins, a deputy mayor of Paris in charge of sports.

Roland Garros has in recent years been at risk of losing its grand slam status, Martins told Reuters.

“In 2010 there was some real competition from Madrid. Spain were the king of clay and they had what it takes to host a grand slam. There was also competition from the Gulf countries, who were ready to offer some crazy prize money,” he said.

“The only way for us was to be able to get more spectators.”

Court One will be replaced with the ‘Court des Serres’ (Greenhouse court), flanked by tropical vegetation, and the number of seats increased from 3,600 to 5,000.

Court One, also known as The Bullring given its round shape, was built in 1980 and has been the theatre of many a memorable match.

French tennis federation president Bernard Giudicelli believes the Parisian flair of the French Open will be preserved in the expansion of Roland Garros. “If we decided to stay in Paris [after other plans were drafted to move to the outskirts], it is because we wanted to keep this Parisian identity,” he said.