The new semi-sunken court, which is surrounded by greenhouses, was described as intimate and quirkyGETTY IMAGES
The "big winner" at this year's French Open is the Court Simonne Mathieu, the new 5,290-seat arena at Roland Garros that is an "absolute gem," according to Jon Wertheim of SI.com. The semi-sunken court is "warm, intimate, quirky" and "surrounded by greenhouses." Nestled in the botanical garden, this is "less a tennis court than a clay-covered terrarium" (SI.com, 5/26). The AP's John Leicester wrote the debut of Court Simonne Mathieu on Sunday was a "triumph for tournament organizers who overcame strong opposition from critics who long sought to block construction in a 19th-century garden." Player Garbine Muguruza said, "It's a very cute court. It's not small, but it's, you know, cozy. It's like in a garden. It's a different feeling" (AP, 5/26). TENNIS.com's Richard Evans wrote with the playing surface at Court Simonne Mathieu "lowered 15 feet below ground level, the four new glass houses that surround it provide a unique setting -- a deliberate aim of the French architect-engineer Marc Mimram, whose ambition was to merge sport with nature" (TENNIS.com, 5/26).
UPDATED LOOK: In London, Paul Newman noted in "almost every corner of Roland Garros there are new buildings and new courts." Ninety percent of the old Court Philippe-Chatrier, the main stadium at the venue, was "knocked down after last year's tournament and has been replaced by gleaming new stands." The stands are "eight metres higher than they were in the old stadium and the whole structure will be another three metres higher once the new sliding roof is installed in time for next year's tournament." The rebuilt Court Philippe-Chatrier "feels very modern." The whole Roland Garros site "exudes style and sophistication." There are plenty of "modern touches, such as a number of smartphone recharging points around the grounds, and some welcome additional comforts for spectators." There are also "more food and drink outlets"(London INDEPENDENT, 5/27). In N.Y., Christopher Clarey wrote the new-look Court Philippe-Chatrier, with its "pale wooden seats, rounded corners and more subtle and uniform color scheme," is "higher and wider than before, and it is not yet finished" (N.Y. TIMES, 5/27).
