The centre court at Roland Garros will have a retractable roof installed for the 2016 French Open, the French tennis federation announced today.
The development of Court Philippe Chatrier, which is almost certain to be a precursor to evening or night sessions, will bring the tournament into line with the rest of the grand slams and is part of a major renovation of the Paris site.
In February, the FFT voted to keep the tournament in the centre of Paris rather than relocate it to a new venue in the suburbs and more details of the plans were revealed at a press conference today.
The site, which is significantly smaller than its equivalents in Melbourne, London and New York and has become increasingly cramped, will expand into the neighbouring botanic gardens, where a new 5,000-seat court will be built.
The plans have met with considerable opposition from some local residents and supporters of the gardens but Bertrand Delanoe, the mayor of Paris, insisted no plants will be destroyed and that the new court will be accommodated around the prized Auteuil greenhouses.
He said: 'I would never have accepted to spoil this site. The only thing I could accept was to make it more beautiful, because Roland Garros 2016 will not only be something modern that will be ready to welcome all of the athletes and the public and the companies also who are supporting those tournaments, but it will also make Paris more beautiful.'
Work will start next year on redeveloping Court Suzanne Lenglen and is expected to be completed by 2013. Next year will also see applications for building permits, with special planning permission needed for the new roof.
It is hoped the garden court will be ready by 2014 with the transformation of Court Philippe Chatrier completed in time for the 2016 tournament. The entire project is expected to cost €275million.
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