Did Roland Garros even like tennis? Legendary stadium’s namesake has an interesting backstory | WGN Radio 720

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Did Roland Garros even like tennis? Legendary stadium’s namesake has an interesting backstory | WGN Radio 720


PARIS (NEXSTAR) – Roland Garros is one of the most famous tennis stadiums in the world and this summer it will build on its stellar legacy.

The legendary stadium will not only host tennis for the upcoming Paris 2024 Olympics, it will also host boxing, wheelchair tennis and sitting volleyball.

The stadium is named after French aviator Roland Garros, despite little correlation between the two.

Fatah Nekhili, a stadium tour guide, told us that Garros was not especially fond of tennis. “It was not his favorite game. It was not his favorite sport,” he said.

Garros was a well-known pilot but died just before his birthday fighting in World War I.

Years later, a friend named the stadium in honor of Garros and now it is synonymous with the annual French Open, one of the hardest tournaments of the Grand Slam tournament.

The stadium recently got some upgrades, including a new retractable roof. They also upped the total to 18 clay courts.

During the French Open every year, it takes 1.5 tons of clay to prep the iconic Philippe Chatrier court.

Philippe Chatrier was a French tennis player in the 1940s who went on to become the president of the French Federation of Tennis.

A unique aspect of the locker rooms is that there is no designation when it comes to status. All players occupy and prepare in the same room, separated by gender.

“Imagine during the tournament, at the beginning, a lot of players entering, going outside,” Nekhili described. That goes on until there are “less people inside until the day of the final, with only two players in this place.”

Those vying for the championship watch as their defeated opponents empty out of the locker room and focus on who is still left.

When players approach the court, they’ll notice the names of those who have won the French Open. The gradual changes in color on the tile floor guide them to the famous clay.

“You have all the history around this stadium and [to] win on clay on Roland Garros is something special,” Nekhili said.



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Publish date : 2024-07-29 12:01:15

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