As we countdown to the start of Roland Garros 2024, fans who attend the stadiums with Roland Garros tickets will have an elevated experience.
The Suzanne Lenglen court now becomes the newest addition to the stadiums with retractable roofs.
Joining the more significant Court Philippe Chatrier at the Paris site, adding a retractable roof on Suzanne Lenglen marks the second retractable roof for Roland Garros, home of the French Open and tennis for the 2024 Paris Olympics.
According to Amelie Mauresmo, tournament director, the “most visible new feature” of 2024 is the new roof at the 10,000-seat stadium. This roof gives the tournament more certainty that matches will happen even when the weather isn’t cooperating, both for French Open events this year and into the future and the Olympics this summer.
The new roof, designed by architect Dominique Perrault, can close in 15 minutes. With wings 328 feet long and 65 feet wide, the tournament says the design combines a flat horizontal metallic surface with the curves of the lateral grandstands.
Made of lightweight canvas with a design “inspired by the pleated skirt created by Jean Patou for Suzanne Lenglen,” even the roof design is meant to pay homage to the player the court is named after.
The 2019 opening of Court Simonne Mathieu was one of the best builds for the fans with Roland Garros tickets, giving them space to move around. This construction gave the site its third-largest venue and spectators some much-needed breathing room at the major tennis tournament with the smallest footprint.
Four greenhouses inspired by the surroundings surround court Simonne Mathieu. This year, the organizers have brought innovation to showcase that the Paris stadium is a part of the ecosystem and not an isolated space. The court’s semi-sunken design encourages the stadium to blend into the gardens.
There will now be two additional night sessions for the 633,000+ fans with Roland Garros tickets who will make the trip this year. In total, this year’s tournament comprises 11-night sessions.
Along with the new roof at Suzanne Lenglen, the tournament will have an entrance show to accompany the players’ entrances on that court, thanks to new LED panels and an entrance vestibule.
Fresh for the site’s four largest stadiums—Philippe Chatrier, Suzanne Lenglen, Simonne Mathieu and Court 14—are new players’ benches and chairs for umpires and line judges.
The benches were designed with wooden slats inspired by the benches in Parisian parks. The French-made furniture will expand to all the courts on site in 2025.
As part of Philippe Chatrier’s continued remaking, the player space beneath the stadium received a redesign. The restaurant, bar, lounge, and changing rooms have all been redecorated to mimic the style of Parisian apartments.
The four-player restaurants also received upgrades and will each offer themed food concepts, including Asian, Italian, and grill.
Roland Garros added Le Rendez-Vous near a waiting area at Philippe Chatrier. The tournament plans to host live musical performances and provide musical instruments for players.
The Club House, a social meeting place for players and their guests has been revamped to include a gourmet restaurant and table service. A tattoo studio introduced last season, thanks to its popularity among players, returns.
Prize Money for Roland Garros Announced!
Roland Garros tournament organizers announced that the overall reward for the clay court Grand Slam will exceed €53.5 million, an increase of more than 7.8 percent compared to 2023.
Paris will witness a celebration of equality in tennis as the men’s and women’s singles champions will each receive €2.4 million, and the finalists will earn €1,200,000.
Compared to 2023, the prize money set for the Singles draw has risen. This was long overdue, with the anticipation and excitement predominantly centred around the Singles events.
Regarding the doubles championship, there will be a winner’s cheque of €590,000 for the duo.
There have also been increases in qualifying prize money. Those who lose in the final round of qualifying will take home €41,000 compared to €34,000 one year ago.
The rise in prize money is also related to the increase in the popularity of Grand Slam tennis. More and more fans are now tuning in to watch the French Open and even make it to the stadium with Roland Garros tickets.
One Last Dance for Alize Cornet
Alize Cornet has announced she will play her final tournament next month at Roland Garros. The 34-year-old Frenchwoman confirmed her impending retirement in an interview on Saturday on French television channel Canal+.
“Hello, everyone,” Cornet said in a video post on social media. “You might already know what I’m about to tell you, but in one month, I will play my last tournament at the French Open and then retire from professional tennis.
Somehow, it’s been complicated to play with this in the back of my mind for the past few months because even though I feel like the time is right and I couldn’t dream of a better way to say goodbye, my heart feels heavy about leaving 19 years of my life behind me.
“But I also know that many exciting things are ahead of me and that I will be able to turn that page, knowing that I gave everything to my sport from the beginning to the end. I am proud of this, and I hope you guys will miss me a little. I will miss you.
Cornet debuted on the Hologic WTA Tour as a 15-year-old wild card at the French Open 2005. Over her 19-year career, the Nice native captured six WTA titles, made the Rome final as an 18-year-old in 2008, and reached a career-high ranking of No.11 in 2009.
She will finish her career having made the Round of 16 or better at all four Grand Slams, with her best Slam result coming just two years ago in an emotional run to her first major quarterfinal at the Australian Open.
Cornet holds the Open Era record for consecutive Grand Slam main-draw appearances, a remarkable example of her resilience. In a streak that began in 2007 and remains unbroken, Cornet has appeared in 68 straight majors.
Fans with Roland Garros tickets from the late 2000s will fondly remember Cornet as she bids goodbye.