Our writer reports from court side.

Like many in Paris, I relished last week’s return of two of the most anticipated shows on earth: Top Gun: Maverick and Roland-Garros. Both events had waited a long time to properly open their doors to an eager public and were instant sell-outs. They were worth the wait. A little research produced an interesting connection, namely that although Roland-Garros is a household name, few people (including French tennis fans) are aware that Roland was not much of a tennis player. Instead, Garros was a risk-taking aviator and a fearless fighter pilot who constantly pushed conventional boundaries. It turns out that a hundred years ago, the celebrated Monsieur Garros was no less than France’s real-life Maverick. 

There is certainly a breath of that unorthodox spirit in the Open tournament bearing his name. Roland-Garros (R-G) feels the odd one out among the quartet of Grand Slam tennis events, dominated by the ‘anglosphère’ of UK, USA and Australia. Latin culture is an instant point of difference. English may be creeping into R-G, but the tournament happens in the French language, meaning non-native officials need to call spectators to order as well as just call the scores. R-G fans naturally love a French winner, but have a firm affinity to Hispanic culture, starting with Rafa, the undisputed King of Clay. Mexican waves are commonplace, but the distinctive crowd call of “Olé!” is a sound unique to R-G. 

For now, the non-use of Hawk-Eye technology also remains une exception française. Where machines are making some line judges redundant, R-G’s officials still have a role beyond the decorative, with the clay surface making it easier to mark the ball.