17. THE SLAMS – ROLAND GARROS

The second Grand Slam I attended as a parent of a player was the French Open. Held in late May, you are always at the hands of the weather and each year that I have been has been no exception. It was can be sunny and warm one minute but grey and cold another, with a fair share of rain thrown in (sounds like Wimbledon!). 

The site of the French Open, or Roland Garros as it is more typically known, is surprisingly small and you can easily walk from one end to the other in a matter of minutes. The courts are tightly packed in and the circulation areas are buzzing with people. The quality of the clay courts is exceptional – like no other – and the court surroundings are steeped in history, culture, and many beautiful buildings. 

As with all the Slams, the organisation of the tournament is excellent. Once you have your accreditation you have access to pretty much the entire grounds and the players, even the juniors, are treated very well. They don’t have access to everywhere but they do get to eat in the same restaurants as the senior players, and share the same changing rooms etc – much to the astonishment of my player who came out after her shower saying she had shared the changing room with the then World No 1, Simona Halep. 

As with the other slams, there is a buzz of excitement around the grounds. The walkways are busy but despite being a much smaller site than Wimbledon, the crowds appear more dispersed. The atmosphere is very French (as you would expect) and you can almost feel the sophistication of Paris within the grounds. 

Practice at Roland Garros is either on the match courts (if you get there early) or off site at the Jean-Bouin practice centre a few blocks away. This centre takes you away from the crowds and is self-contained with its’ own player lounge, restaurant and fitness room. All players can access the courts and your player may follow or be followed on court by one of the top players – my player and her practice partner, were booked to follow a certain A. Murray – quite an intimidating thought but he did stop for a photo before departing the court for his match and he was as delightful as ever.

As always, the courts (match or practice) are beautifully prepared and maintained. The players hugely respect this and always remember to sweep the clay after practice use and take joy in brushing the lines – well, the juniors do anyway! Another lasting memory is of the on-court fridges, which are always well stocked – with Perrier and Evian of course!

The tournament hotels are scattered around Paris, not far from the Roland Garros site at Bois de Bologne but as with all the Slams, transport is laid on to make travel to the courts much easier and less stressful for all. 

If I am being brutally honest – and I can be as this is a blog filled with my own personal views and opinions – then Roland Garros is my least favourite of the Slams – no offence intended. I am not entirely sure why because it is a beautiful place to visit and the tennis never fails to impress. But there are little things about the other Slams that make them a little bit more special to me but at the end of the day it is a personal preference and only the visitor herself, be it a player, team member or spectator, can decide.

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