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Hindustan Times
11 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Hindustan Times
Inside the iconic Roland Garros where every little detail is a cinematic spectacle
It takes less than 50 minutes to amble around Roland Garros and explore all its many parts and every single corner. The pace, even if a tick short of glacial, takes in the courts, big and small and can reach the smallest nooks and crannies. Like behind the Court Simonne Mathieu sunk into the earth and enveloped by botanical gardens is a patch of undulating lawn that has deck chairs, people napping under bushes next to a large screen and kids' activities. Where lost in his own rhythm is a DJ. Even with Chatrier at its craziest highest volume, there's parts of the 33 acres of the Roland Garros grounds which seem a world away from the moving parts of a global sports event. Any first-timer can be swept away by the effortless understatement of it all. Roland Garros' show courts -- the intimate Suzanne Langlen, the steel, glass and wood of Chatrier and the bijou Simonne Mathieu -- punctuate the landscape but they do not overwhelm it. There's activity, people rushing about, food and drink dished out, money being spent and earned but at Roland Garros, there always seems room to breathe. Roland Garros occupies the least space of any of the four Grand Slam venues but when it comes to court real estate, the Chatrier's surface is bigger than Australia's Rod Laver arena, Wimbledon's Centre Court and the US Open's Arthur Ashe stadium. Wandering around the RG or up on the top-most floor of the Chatrier, there can suddenly be random sightings of the top of the Eiffel Tower. It is all tres tres Paris but there again, underneath the imagery and the optics lies a humdrum fact. Paris's most famous and overused symbol is still a working telecommunication and broadcast tower, its blinking red lights daily proof that it is relaying digital television and FM radio signals. During Roland Garros 2025, for the first time an experimental broadcast using 5G technology and tests for mobile smartphone reception were carried out of the Eiffel Tower. Well, like much around the French Open, it's more than just a pretty face. Some facts will help us understand how this singular mashup of clockwork Grand Slam with a country fairground feel is managed. Roland Garros runs on millions of dollars of media rights and sponsorship deals. Sponsorships have crossed $100m, the TV rights deal is now three times what it was last year. There's currently a total of 18 very visible partners/ sponsors scattered everywhere. It has been reported that RG though is still looking for a cosmetics brand to be part of their portfolio, outside of the sunscreen of course. Take a closer look of the TV pictures coming out of Roland Garros and note their originality. There is at key moments an almost cinematic quality to the images that punctuate the footage between the rallies, sets and games. The crowd framed by flowers, the view of the court from ground level next to the player's chair during changeovers, the camera finding its way into close-ups and slow motions of shoe sliding on clay. It is not just by chance. A UK production company called Whisper, working with 'some of the best tennis and sports directors in France and internationally' has taken over Roland Garros coverage this year from the previous producers Host Broadasting Services. A spokesperson said, 'Each Slam as its own identity including its look… and for Roland Garros it's important to cover the matches editorially and creatively… and capture the essence of the event.' Since 2022, Roland Garros has used the phrase, 'Move the Lines, With Style' as its brand slogan. It's about shaking up conventions and reaching out, out of the box with the other element central to Paris: style. That slogan though is visible however not in French but in English. With great elan, a Parisian explains 'This is not just a sports event.' We were at a throng at a 'degustation' event in the narrow corridor outside the media cafe. Boutiques, wineries and epicurean entrepreneurs offer a selection of their wares to the international media a few times during the fortnight. The media are not central to the entrepreneurs' plans. But the visibility of the products inside RG is what is expected to create a ripple, move a needle to the entrepreneurs and business. 'There is wealth, affluence and influence inside these is a Paris that you do not see altogether in such a small place. This is a Paris that is far removed from the tourist Paris or the suburban Grand Paris as well.' There's a suitably epicurean phrase for it that the world know and it is called, 'crème de la creme'. Journalist and author David Garcia notes that in these circles the French Open is not referred to as Roland Garros, but only as 'Roland'. Everything is on first-name basis. Yet, a short walk from the 'degustation' are the smaller courts filled with juniors and the lure and crush of a sporting career. Around one corner between court 8 and Langlen, slumped and sweating against a wall is Hitesh Chauhan. He is junior world No. 83 from Ludhiana and has just lost a close second-round boys singles to the sixth seed Benjamin Willewerth, in a third set tiebreak. Hitesh was the last boy into the qualifying, whose final qualifying match was won 7-5 and put him into the 64-strong main draw, the lowest of the junior seeds. Inside two days, his Roland Garros stint is over. He must both deal with the lump of disappointment in his stomach and think how he could give junior Wimbledon qualifiers a shot. For everything that is looks like and stands for, Roland Garros ever so often, can give players and spectators a gut-kick. Beneath the elan and the polish, at its core, Roland Garros or the French Open or Roland is sport. Of burning lungs, bruised knuckles and twisted hopes.
Straits Times
29-04-2025
- Politics
- Straits Times
USTA, ATA announce diversity plan to increase Black representation
NEW YORK – The United States Tennis Association (USTA) and American Tennis Association (ATA) announced a new initiative to expand diversity in tennis on April 28, with a focus on increasing Black representation in the sport. Tennis has faced criticism for its overwhelmingly white professional ranks, with only two Black men – Arthur Ashe and Yannick Noah – ever hoisting a Major trophy, as top Black players face harassment even at the sport's top level. 'We are proud to formalise our relationship with the ATA, which has a rich and storied history of breaking down barriers and transforming tennis into a sport that is more diverse and inclusive,' the USTA's chief diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) officer, Marisa Grimes, said in a statement. The ATA was founded in 1916 after the USTA's predecessor, the United States Lawn Tennis Association, barred Black players from competing against white players in organised tournaments. The partnership coincides with the 75th anniversary of Althea Gibson breaking the colour barrier when in 1950 she became the first Black tennis player to compete in the US National Championship, which would later become the US Open. 'This is also the 50th anniversary of Arthur Ashe being the first and only African American male to win the Wimbledon men's singles championship. As great as these achievements were, I am reminded of Althea saying, 'No matter what accomplishments you make, somebody helped you',' ATA president Robert Foster said. 'This collaboration with the USTA helps us to increase awareness of the ATA, grow our brand, and help increase the tennis community footprint.' The initiative will include a mentorship programme for developing diverse tennis professionals and coaches, from the junior level and up. The tennis organisations' moves come as DEI efforts have been under attack by US President Donald Trump, who has issued a slew of executive orders aimed at dismantling such programmes across the federal government and the private sector. Trump and his allies say DEI unfairly discriminates against other Americans, including white people and men, and weakens the importance of merit in job hiring or promotion. Supporters of DEI initiatives say these programmes are needed to undo decades of injustices against marginalised groups in the United States. REUTERS Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
Reuters
29-04-2025
- Business
- Reuters
USTA, ATA announce diversity plan to increase Black representation
Companies Mr Usta LLC NEW YORK, April 28 (Reuters) - The USTA and American Tennis Association announced a new initiative to expand diversity in tennis on Monday, with a focus on increasing Black representation in the sport. Tennis has faced criticism for its overwhelmingly white professional ranks, with only two Black men - Arthur Ashe and Yannick Noah - ever hoisting a major trophy, as top Black players face harassment even at the sport's top level. "We are proud to formalize our relationship with the ATA, which has a rich and storied history of breaking down barriers and transforming tennis into a sport that is more diverse and inclusive," the USTA's chief diversity, equity and inclusion officer, Marisa Grimes, said in a statement. The ATA was founded in 1916 after the USTA's predecessor, the United States Lawn Tennis Association, barred Black players from competing against white players in organized tournaments. The partnership coincides with the 75th anniversary of Althea Gibson breaking the color barrier when in 1950 she became the first Black tennis player to compete in the U.S. National Championship, which would later become the U.S. Open. "This is also the 50th anniversary of Arthur Ashe being the first and only African American male to win the Wimbledon men's singles championship. As great as these achievements were, I am reminded of Althea saying, 'No matter what accomplishments you make, somebody helped you,'" ATA President Robert Foster said. "This collaboration with the USTA helps us to increase awareness of the ATA, grow our brand, and help increase the tennis community footprint." The initiative will include a mentorship program for developing diverse tennis professionals and coaches, from the junior level and up. The tennis organizations' moves come as DEI efforts have been under attack by U.S. President Donald Trump, who has issued a slew of executive orders aimed at dismantling such programs across the federal government and the private sector. Trump and his allies say DEI unfairly discriminates against other Americans, including white people and men, and weakens the importance of merit in job hiring or promotion. Supporters of DEI initiatives say these programs are needed to undo decades of injustices against marginalized groups in the United States.
The Independent
11-02-2025
- Sport
- The Independent
US Open announces radical mixed doubles change as event targets top singles players
The US Open has announced a radical overhaul of its mixed doubles event – with the competition moving to two days in qualifying week in an attempt to attract top singles players. The mixed doubles will take place between 16 pairs, halving the number of entrants from last year's event, and will be staged on the two biggest courts, Arthur Ashe and Louis Armstrong, over Tuesday 19 August and Wednesday 20 August. It means that the mixed doubles champions will be decided before even the draw for the singles events are confirmed. The scoring system, until the final, will be sets played to four games with sudden death deuce and a tiebreak at 4-4, with a 10-point tiebreak instead of the third set. The final will be the same but with normal six-game sets. Most controversially for tour doubles players, eight pairs will earn entry based on their combined singles ranking with the other eight pairs decided by the US Open's wildcard committee. Top American singles players Jessica Pegula and Taylor Fritz have already committed to the event. Six-time Grand Slam doubles champion Rajeev Ram criticised the entry process, with the world's best doubles players likely to miss out on playing mixed doubles in favour of top singles players. The prize money for the winning pair will also rise to $1m, an increase of $800,000 from 2024. 'This is something we're really excited about,' Lew Sherr, the United States Tennis Association (USTA) chief executive, told The Athletic. 'I'm hopeful this becomes a new franchise and tentpole in tennis, not just at the U.S. Open, but elsewhere and throughout the year to attract more folks. 'It truly is something unique in sport where you have the best athletes, male and female, competing on the same field of play at the same time against one another. It doesn't exist in other professional sports. 'This is not an exhibition. This is a Grand Slam championship with significant prize money at stake. And we think it is unique and singular in sports. Our broadcasters all feel the same way.' Sherr added that the success of an exhibition 'Mixed Madness' event in the build-up to last year's US Open, which was won by Paula Badosa and Stefanos Tsitsipas, encouraged executives to make the radical move. 'From every reaction that we received, including broadcasters, players, it was unequivocally a success,' he added. 'That emboldened us to go further, which is where we are today.' The semifinals and final will air on ESPN2 in the US, while matches will be made available to Sky Sports and therefore viewers in the UK. The announcement comes a few weeks after the Grand Slam held in New York confirmed a Sunday start date, extending the tournament to 15 days in line with the Australian Open and French Open. Wimbledon, however, will not be following suit, as confirmed by Tim Henman.
