The organisers of tennis’ French Open are planning a new €120 million stadium with a retractable roof, to compete with Wimbledon and attract sponsors and fans.
Tournament director Gilbert Ysern said yesterday at the event in Paris that construction of the stadium should start in 2011 may be ready in five years, subject to relevant permissions. The new clay-court stadium will be a five-minute walk from Roland Garros.
The Madrid Open, also held on clay courts, just unveiled a €175 million ‘Caja Magica’ (‘Magic Box’) venue that can open and close the roof as weather demands.
Wimbledon’s new retractable roof on Centre Court has cost over €90 million according to estimations.
“Wimbledon is way ahead of us at the moment,” Ysern told reporters. “This competition with the four Grand Slam events is good for the game. It’s just an idea at the moment. We are checking various aspects. Is it technically possible? And how much would it cost?”
Ysern added that the French Tennis Federation will pay €80 million of the cost of the new stadium, with Paris contributing another €20 million and the French government funding the remainder of the total cost.
The organisers are also looking into the possibility of building a roof over the main Court Philippe Chatrier. The federation has invested €200 million in the Roland Garros complex in recent years.
