French Open fans have become the most rowdy in tennis, and players do not like it

Telegraph

24-05-2025

We can expect several of the world's finest tennis players to see red over the next few days – and not only because that is the colour of the Parisian clay.
In recent seasons, the French Open has become arguably the most testing event on the circuit. On top of the physical and technical demands of best-of-five-set tennis, you have to deal with the spikiest fans in the game.
Last year, the issue came to prominence after Belgian veteran David Goffin endured what he described as three-and-a-half hours of insults, culminating in a fan spitting chewing gum at him at the conclusion of his five-set victory over home favourite Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard.
'It's becoming football,' said Goffin after that match. 'Soon there will be smoke bombs, hooligans and fights in the stands. Some people are there more to cause trouble than to create an atmosphere.'
😠 The Paris crowd booed David Goffin after he knocked out Frenchman Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard in Round 1 at #RolandGarros pic.twitter.com/R58Zmzzq1f
— Cycling on TNT Sports (@cyclingontnt) May 29, 2024
Goffin's complaints did not go unheeded. Tournament director Amelie Mauresmo responded by instituting an unprecedented 'booze ban', in which spectators are allowed to drink in the concourses but cannot take alcohol onto the court. These measures have now been extended into 2025 as well, so it will be interesting to see how well they work.
The early rounds of Roland Garros are often the most tempestuous, because of the preponderance of home hopes. No fewer than 27 French players are involved in the singles draws that start on Sunday, although – like Brits at Wimbledon – they tend to be winnowed out quickly once play begins.
The involvement of a Frenchman or woman is usually what sends the Parisian crowds off the deep end. The former British No3 Liam Broady described the experience in colourful terms during an interview with TalkSport last year.
'I've had all sorts there, personal abuse,' said Broady. 'Last year in qualifying I had to ask for a group of people to get removed. I think it's been happening for a few years now and the umpires don't seem to be able to do anything.
'I do get the feeling at the French Open that a few guys go for a drink with their mates and see which players you can rattle. A lot of people don't actually go to watch the sport.'
Players like Broady and Goffin would contend that they do not mind what is usually known as a 'Davis Cup atmosphere' – in reference to tennis's international team event – in which the crowd is noisy and partisan. It is the personal element which pushes this behaviour over the edge.
Such distinctions are difficult for umpires to make, in the absence of any obvious way to measure rowdiness. But it is interesting that French fans are emerging as the most likely offenders.
Even at the Australian Open – which takes place in Melbourne, a city without a large French-speaking community – there have been a couple of incidents in recent years. In January, the chanting that supported France's Arthur Cazaux against Great Britain's Jacob Fearnley grew so loud that the players on the next-door court asked to be moved further away.
Twas not ever thus. 'When I played Frenchmen at Roland Garros, the crowd were lairy – but in a good way,' recalls Tim Henman, who reached the semi-finals here in 2004. 'It was a fun, lively atmosphere. I think now there are times when their behaviour is questionable.'
As for Sue Barker, who became the last British player to land a title here when she beat Renata Tomanova in the 1976 final, she remembers the fans being gloriously well behaved. But then, as she points out, 'That was the way the world was then. It's all different now!'
This may all be part of an unfortunate post-Covid trend. We hear of people being determined to go out and enjoy themselves in any way they deem appropriate, even if that means disrupting theatre performances by singing along or interrupting the actors.
In tennis, the players have become so exasperated that they are beginning to return fire. The day after the chewing-gum incident, serial Roland Garros champion Iga Swiatek interrupted her own on-court interview to scold the crowd on Court Philippe Chatrier. 'When you scream something during the rally or right before the return,' she tutted, 'it's really, really hard to be focused.'
Iga Świątek appeals to the French crowd, asking them to respect players focus by not making noise during the rallies.
Her ask was met with supportive applause. #RolandGarros pic.twitter.com/8k8w6Ve4lL
— TSN (@TSN_Sports) May 29, 2024
Swiatek may perhaps have been influenced by Goffin's stand, which proved popular within the locker-room. After falling in the second round, Goffin explained that he had lost count of the number of players who had thanked him for taking a stand.
Not everyone agrees with the principle of the on-court booze ban. Mark Petchey, the experienced broadcaster and former British No 1 who is now coaching Emma Raducanu, queried Mauresmo's decision on social media during last year's French Open.
'Tennis wanting to get younger people watching,' wrote Petchey. 'Tennis also spending most of its time telling crowds to quieten down, don't make a sound in rally, don't pick a side too vigorously, don't drink in your seat but you should also be in that seat continuously from 11am to 7pm.'
Yet there appears to have been no effect on ticket sales. Qualifying this week has been packed, and the roars that encouraged France's Titouan Droguet on Friday evening must have been audible far into the greenery of the neighbouring Bois de Boulogne.
The next few days will give a sense of how the Mauresmo rule affects fan behaviour, particularly during the all-action intensity of the opening round. There are suspicions that the rules were not enforced with any great diligence last year, when punters could be seen with a beer in each hand while sitting on the outside courts.
As for the larger stadia, the authorities may be keeping an eye on the possible early clash between Novak Djokovic – the three-time champion who has described the Roland Garros crowd as 'not easy' – and Corentin Moutet, the tricky French left-hander and undisputed master of s---housery.
If that second-round meeting should come to pass, they might have to call in the army.