Second retractable roof to be added at Roland Garros with Paris Olympic Games in mind

Roland Garros will inaugurate its second retractable roof during the first week of the French Open, revealed tournament director Amelie Mauresmo. The Suzanne Lenglen court will join the Philippe Chatrier stadium as the covered stadiums, with the Olympic Games in mind.

The second Grand Slam of the year will begin on May 26th on the main courts, and on that day, a ceremony will be held for the roof over the Suzanne Lenglen court, which has a capacity for 10,000 spectators.

The addition of the retractable roof at Roland Garros was announced by tournament director Amelie Mauresmo during a press conference. The former world No. 1 mentioned that the ceremony will take place before the first match of the opening day of competition, although it may be used in the days leading up to it if necessary during the qualifying rounds.

"The most obvious thing will be the roof over Court Suzanne Lenglen," said tournament director Mauresmo. "It will allow us to have matches when it is raining and give us a bit more flexibility with programming."

This addition complements the retractable roof over the main Philippe Chatrier court, which has been in place since 2020 and has a capacity for 15,000 spectators. The two covered courts guarantee 25,000 spectators in the stadium and will enhance worldwide television broadcasts.

These two covered courts will not only be of great help during the French Open but will also be important for the Paris Olympic Games scheduled from July 27th to August 27th. Back in 2021, some matches were interrupted on the outdoor courts due to the scorching heat and humidity in Tokyo.