On Thursday, promoters of a project designed with the Paris Olympics in mind announced that Roland Garros’ second retractable roof will be opened on the first day of the French Open, which takes place the following month.
Tournament director Amelie Mauresmo announced at a press conference that a ceremony for the roof over the 10,000-seat Suzanne Lenglen court will take place on May 26 when play begins in the main draws.
If it rains during the six days leading up to the two-week event, the roof may be closed even before it officially opens.
Since 2020, the roof of the main Philippe Chatrier court, which holds 15,000 seats, has been retractable.
Mauresmo described the court as the “most visible new feature” of the 2024 competition and remarked, “It is a court that will help us a lot.”
Mauresmo lauded the new roof for providing schedule flexibility and guaranteeing play for 25,000 supporters on the field as well as TV viewers throughout the globe.
The two covered courts at the Paris Games will aid in keeping the Olympic competition scheduled for July 27–August 4. Heatwaves and humidity caused matches on outdoor courts to be interrupted during the 2021 Tokyo Olympics.
The 37-year-old Rafael Nadal, the record 14-time men’s singles champion at the clay-court Grand Slam, expressed uncertainty on Wednesday that he would be fit for Roland Garros due to ailments.
“For him and for us, we cross our fingers. Mauresmo stated, “He’s at home and he knows it,” just hours before Nadal was scheduled to play in the Madrid Open. “We will obey his wishes while we wait to see what occurs.”
Mauresmo, whose ranking has slipped to No. 512, is not yet ready to make a special case for Nadal to be seeded, despite the fact that he is the greatest player to have ever competed at Roland Garros. Players who specialize in grass-court tennis have received preferential seeding at Wimbledon.
Mauresmo stated of seeding players based on their past performance rather than their present position, “We have also seen that it brought some benefits but it has also brought some drawbacks.” “So, it’s not a topic on the table at this time.”
In the first round, Nadal might be paired with any player, including two-time major champion Carlos Alcaraz and longtime rival and current champion Novak Djokovic, if he is not seeded.
Olympic gold medallist Rafael Nadal is expected at Roland Garros for the Summer Games. Official Stéphane Morel of the French Tennis Federation advised that Nadal play doubles with Alcaraz.
During the second week of the Olympics, Roland Garros also hosts boxing finals. According to Mauresmo, demand for the French Open was positively impacted by the additional attractions.
With daily attendance of 75,000 and about 650,000 over the course of the three weeks, including qualifying, the tournament is sold out for the first week.
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