Chronic. That’s it, Roland-Garros is closing.
A Roland-Garros waterlogged, full of rain, puddles and soggy clay. Of course, with its carpets of dead leaves and chestnuts, with its shades of orange in harmony with the sacred surface, the “autumn-winter collection” tournament was not devoid of poetry. But the “magic of Roland”, as its protagonists say, only operates in fine spring days. When the rendezvous at Porte d’Auteuil smells of summer, with its Panama hats, ice creams tasted in the shade in the aisles and red gold dust.
The images that we will remember from this unique edition, shifted because of an invisible enemy? First, the umbrellas, the cold and the parkas. We are not about to forget this first day when we saw the players enter the court dressed in winter sports clothing, shivering on their bench (” It’s cold. What’s the point of sitting like ducks? “, Belarusian diva Victoria Azarenka will complain).
During this fortnight obscured by a bloody pandemic, there was something sad about walking in almost deserted alleys, which are usually as fluid as the A7 motorway on a crossover weekend. We met mostly masked volunteers, zombies wandering under their large orange or white ponchos.
A cocky spectacle in the stands
There was something gloomy about seeing these depopulated stands – even if, for once, the boxes on Central Court were almost full, assailed by the thousands of spectators and random guests. A handful of brave Inuit disguised as Inuit were still there at 1:25 a.m. to watch Rafael Nadal and Jannik Sinner break the record for the latest match in tournament history.
Even the master of the house had trouble recognizing his beloved decor. “It’s true that it doesn’t really look like Roland-Garros”, Nadal certified on the eve of his entry into the running. However, he like others wished to salute the effort of the organizers to have managed to maintain the event and thus allow them to exercise their profession, even at the cost of heavy health constraints.
Since it was rebuilt so as not to be relegated to the race for gigantism in which its three other Grand Slam cousins are engaged, the Central court has also lost its charm. For a long time, the land seemed tiny, with an impression of vastness on the sides. Not only does it look smaller with its new coverings, but its geometry also makes it more austere, especially when the roof – an architectural feat – is deployed there. Among players who once felt lost there, the modernized setting is unanimous. But at nightfall, when it lights up from the outside, the venerable Philippe-Chatrier regains his nobility of yesteryear.
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