How to enjoy Ace Days at Roland Garros Tennis

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Anyone for tennis?

Have you ever been to Roland Garros? Or wondered what it is like wandering the grounds of the fancy French Open? It’s been seven years since I was last at Roland Garros in Paris and it was great to be back. I loved seeing all the changes since I was last visiting. I’m here to share my reflections, experience, and tips for a great day of Grand Slam tennis.

Why is Roland Garros so special?

This tennis tournament is a top sports event in Paris and one of the most prestigious tennis tournaments in the world.

The tournament is held in the fancy Roland-Garros Stadium located on the edge of the Bois de Boulogne in the western suburbs of the city, part of the affluent commune of Boulogne-Billancourt. The French Open is a smart affair. Spectators arrive looking well-dressed unless they are tourists!

Roland Garros is a magnificent setting. Between the perfectly preened orange clay courts, the modern architecture, some interesting art installations around the grounds, and a surprising amount of greenery and landscaped gardens, it’s an impressive site.

The Players

I have not been here since 2016. Last time we were cheering for Andy Murray all the way to his final against Djokovic in the final. Congratulations to Novak for his enduring talents.

Seven years is a long time in tennis. There are still some names I recognise but things move on quickly in the world of tennis. Hello Alcaraz, Ruud and Haddad Maia.

The absence of tournament hero Nadal casts a shadow like Banquo’s ghost over the whole event. He is the absolute king of clay and I loved his powerful statue which now greets you on arrival at the Gate One entrance.

The main draw starts with 128 players in the men’s and women’s singles events, 64 teams in the men’s and women’s doubles events, and 32 teams in the mixed doubles event. There’s a long way to go to be the one winner in the singles, everyone of course dreams of holding the trophy but all players will get a share in the EUR 49.6m prize money.

The History (and charm) of Roland Garros

Does anyone else remembers playing tennis with a wooden racquet that we used to keep in a wooden press so it wouldn’t warp?! Yes, phew, thankfully it’s not just me! And well moving swiftly on, Roland Garros dates back before this to 1891 and is one of the oldest tennis tournaments. It is definitely part of its charm.

Did you know that Roland Garros was an Aviator? No, I didn’t, everyone expects him to be a Tennis Player, don’t they? You will meet him on your arrival at Gate one

There is another statue outside Suzanne Lenglen Stadium of her playing in a long dress! I love all the traditions here. Whilst we may not have strawberries and cream like at Wimbledon, there is a rather antiquated system when a player disputes a line call, they point at the skid mark on the clay and the umpire jumps down from their seat to inspect the mark. It always makes me smile!

Clay Court Grand Slam

With clay courts, there is a huge amount of housekeeping necessary to prepare the courts for play. This involves sweeping and watering, and the usual whoopsie moment as the crowd gets sprayed as well.

What I love most about the different Grand Slams are the different skills needed for each playing surface. What I saw from previous Roland Garros trips cheering on players who had stayed with us in Melbourne, is that clay is a slower surface compared to grass or hard courts. Players must adapt their strategies and tactics, leading to different styles of play.

Players need to prepare for a slower pace, together with the higher bounce of the ball. We as spectators will often enjoy longer rallies. It’s physically demanding for the players.

As soon as the players have finished in Paris they will switch their attention to the upcoming grass season, and all eyes turn to Wimbledon. The differing Grand Slam tennis game fascinates me as I watch tennis around the world.

The Crowds

The most fun matches to watch in the early days are those involving a French player as the crowds go bananas for their compatriots. Our Air BnB was in one of the nearby streets and we knew to check the Roland Garros action by the roars of the crowds that we could hear from afar!

A Ground Pass entry

Like at the other Grand Slams, a general admission ticket is a popular choice of ticket. The outside courts have free seating which means that you can check out your favourite players and move around throughout the day. We were there on Day One and Day Three and found it busy. The compact area of Roland Garros means that the outside courts can get very congested.

What to pack for the Outside Courts:

Wren’s tip: Download the Roland Garros App

My top tips for those planning a future trip to Roland Garros are to have a plan of who you want to see, download the Roland Garros App, look at the map, and set the alerts for the players you want to see. The RG App will inform you when their matches are starting which is useful. However, as the week progressed we found we needed to plan ahead to get a seat before the more popular players came on the court

Roland Garros also publish a list of players who will have practice matches scheduled. This can be a great way to catch up with players who will be out of sight playing on the main stadiums.

If hot and sunny prepare for no shade

As an Aussie, I’m always quite shocked by the lack of sun protection for spectators at other Grand Slams. Come prepared with hats and sunscreen (again not freely available like in Australia). I like a towel to sit on, those RG bench seats will win no awards for comfort. I prefer to sit on the top row, so I have a seat with back support. The good news is that if you sit in the back row of the stadium, the use of umbrellas as sunscreens was permitted.

The Stadiums

I have not been inside the stadium’s main court, Philippe Chatrier, since its significant renovation in recent years. It has a unique charm with its seating cubicles at the lower levels. The words ‘Victory belongs to the most tenacious’ feature large in the stadium. These were Roland Garros’s words he inscribed on the propeller of his plane.

We did obtain a ticket to Court No 1 Suzanne Lenglen which seats just over 10,000. This is a great stadium with a great view where ever you are seated.

Next visit I want to check out the brand-new Simonne-Mathieu court.

Are stadium tickets worth it?

For me, yes for the day matches as you don’t waste time queuing to get a seat. If your stadium has a roof cover Phillipe Chatrier, and Suzanne Lenglen from 2024, you will see play if it rains. Also depending on where you sit you can find shade.

The night match on offer is Phillipe Chatrier has only one match scheduled. The play starts at 8.15 pm. The day stadium tickets offer play starting at 11 am and can finish as late as 8 pm, offering better value.

Watching on the outdoor screens

If you want a more relaxed seat, spare some time for an ice cream and the orange deckchairs in the Place des Mousquetaires watching the action on the big screen.

Buying tickets for Roland Garros

We were lucky to buy last-minute tickets for Suzanne Langlen court through the resale ticket option on the Roland Garros website, see Visit and Tickets. It seemed very rare for more than one ticket to appear, but by repeatedly hitting refresh we eventually secured two tickets.

Wren’s tip

Remember Roland Garro’s quote ‘only the tenacious win!‘ Do not give up! We were wondering if it was impossible and it was exciting to get our tickets.

It seems like tickets were released throughout the day and into the night. We finally got one Ground Pass ticket €40 towards midnight, the Suzanne Lenglen Stadium ticket €80 appeared after midnight!

Food at Roland Garros

We liked our food at Roland Garros! There is a Food Court by Gate 1 entry which offered a variety of choices from around France. La friterie du Nord, La focaccia du Sud, La Galette Bretonne, etc

Like most sporting events, you will pay handsomely for food and drink bought here. So most people around us, well Ok the British, bring a picnic. On both days that we visited, we stayed until late in the evening, not wishing to miss anything and we’re happy to have a cooked meal to re-energise us for the evening matches.

Wren’s Tip

With a water bottle, you can find drinking water stations around the site. Our tip is to use the water fountain under Court 7, with together with the toilets there, seemed lesser known.

La Grande Boutique

Shopping at Roland Garros is part of the experience. Not many of us leave without a t-shirt, towel, or €10 shopping bag at the very least. La Grande boutique covers nearly 1,500 m2 spread over two levels. I wonder how many of us also buy sports tops inspired by both the play we watch and the fabulous array of clothing on offer.

Wren’s tip:

Inside La Grande Boutique you will find the tennis racquet stringers in action

My Fan Slam

Roland-Garros 2023, held in May, is the second of four Grand Slam tennis events held each year. The others are the Australian Open held in my home city of Melbourne, the grass court season and Wimbledon follows and the last Grand Slam of the year is the US Open at Flushing Meadows in New York City.

Each Slam has its own personality. I’m lucky to know because I’ve been to each of them over the years. My tennis fan days started in January 2000, the year we moved to Australia.

This year I hope to complete my Fan Slam which is to attend all four Grand Slams in a calendar year.

Final Thoughts

I hope you have enjoyed reading all about my time at Roland Garros. Roland Garros is such a special and highly anticipated event on the tennis calendar. It captures the hearts of players, fans, and one little Wren alike. I hope it’s not seven years before we return to Roland Garros. Next up Wimbledon here we come.

The details

Website: Roland-Garros

Dates: May 21 to June 4 2023 upcoming dates for 2024 May 27 – June 4, 2024

Address: 2, avenue Gordon Bennett, Paris 75016 France

More Reading

Enjoyed this? Here are some other posts you might enjoy:

Australian Open: Why you will love the Australian Open, What to Pack for the Australian Open, Keeping your cool at the Australian Open, Pimp my Dog, pimp the Car, Bye from the Australian Open

French Open: Anyone for Tennis? 

Wimbledon: With Love from Wimbledon, Wonderful Wimbledon

Thailand Open: Thailand Open

Happy Watching!

Linking with thanks to Emma for: Paris In July   

The aim of the month is to celebrate our French experiences through reading, watching, listening, observing, cooking, and eating all things French.