In just a few days, the Roland Garros tournament, also known as the French Open - the second Grand Slam tournament of this calendar year - begins. From 20 May to 9 June, plenty of excitement awaits us for the tournament on the clay courts of Paris. This year's edition promises to be exceptionally exciting, not least because of the upcoming Olympic Games, which in tennis will be played on the same courts as the French Open.
Roland Garros: New roof on the Suzanne-Lenglen court
This year, the Suzanne-Lenglen court got a new retractable roof. The lightweight, retractable structure, was made of canvas and its inspiration was the pleated tennis skirt designed for Suzanne Lenglen. This design is a fitting tribute to the French tennis champion, who was not only a pioneer of women's tennis but also the embodiment of French elegance.
Brand new furniture on the main courts French Open
On the four largest courts in Paris, the players' benches, chairs for the umpires and line judges have been modernised. Particular attention has been paid to their ergonomics and their perfect fit with their surroundings. The new furniture is comfortable and aesthetically pleasing, featuring a sophisticated design and blending in perfectly with its surroundings. The players' benches almost look as if they have sprung from the ground.
The seats are wide and decorated with wooden slats, which are reminiscent of benches in Parisian parks. In a similar vein, the umpires' chairs have delicate lines with ochre-coloured steps to match the clay courts.
Players' welfare at the forefront of the tournament
The organisers of Roland-Garros are keen to provide excellent conditions so that the players can concentrate fully on the competition and present their best tennis on the courts. In cooperation with the ATP and WTA, the tournament offers assistance to any player who needs any support.
Already last year, Roland-Garros was the first Grand Slam tournament to introduce an anti-bullying and anti-hate speech system online, which is one of the main challenges of the tournament. This initiative will be repeated at this year's event.
Tennis Walk of Fame and Tennis Museum
The French Tennis Federation wants to honour outstanding French tennis players by inaugurating the French Tennis Walk of Fame this year. This pathway, located between the village and the Philippe-Chatrier court, will allow the public to follow in the footsteps of champions who have made French tennis history. Fans will also be able to visit the new Tennis Museum! After almost two years of extensive renovation of the building, the Tenniseum reopens its doors for this year's tournament. The new cultural facility consists of a museum gallery, exhibition halls and an auditorium.
Roland-Garros welcomes pickleball
Another highlight for Roland-Garros spectators will be the opportunity to discover and try their hand at pickleball, a racquet sport from the United States that is becoming increasingly popular in Europe. From Sunday 26 May to Saturday 1 June, a pickleball court will be set up on the north court of the Philippe-Chatrier court, while for the last four days of the tournament, from Thursday 6 to Sunday 9 June, three pickleball courts will be set up on court 5.
Who will be the champion and champion of 2024?
Regardless of all the innovations, changes and highlights, the question on the minds of all Roland Garros fans is: who will win this year's edition?
As far as the men's competition is concerned, this question is hard to answer at the moment. The current world No. 1 tennis player Novak Djokovic is not in his best form. The defeat in Rome against Alejandro Tabilo was certainly surprising and puts into question the Nole's ability to defend his title in Paris. On the other hand, however, it should be remembered that Novak should never be underestimated. All the more so, as his main younger rivals Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz had to drop out of the tournament in the Italian capital, which was no doubt an extremely difficult decision for Jannik. Both are also surely thinking about winning Olympic medals this year.
On the other hand, the No. 9 of the world ranking, Pole Hubert Hurkacz, who smoothly defeated Rafael Nadal on the Roman clay court, looks interesting. The clay-surface champion, a 14-time winner of the Roland-Garros tournament, stated briefly, "I will be at Roland-Garros and I will give everything."
When it comes to women's competitions, the question of whether anyone can stop Iga Swiatek seems rhetorical. The defending champion of Roland-Garros 2023 won the tournament in Rome without any major problems and seems to be unbeatable. Of course, we cannot forget about such formidable rivals as Aryna Sabalenka, Coco Gauff or Elena Rybakina, but it is obvious that we will be rooting for Iga and wish her wholeheartedly for the next POLAND GARROS.
