From our correspondent at Roland-Garros – French Open officials have banned alcohol in the stands and vowed to evict troublemakers as the unruly behaviour of fans comes once more under scrutiny. But for many at Roland Garros, raucous crowds and feverish home support are what make the Paris slam special.
Tucked away in a corner of the French Open grounds, Court 14 has developed a fearsome reputation since its launch six years ago – beloved of French players and often dreaded by those who take them on.
The 2,200-seater venue has been dubbed the “cauldron” owing to its sunken shape and heated atmosphere, particularly when a home favourite is on court – or one the French have come to adopt as their own.
On Friday, that honour fell to a Belgian player ranked No 104 in the world, whose first name Zizou – inspired by the French football legend Zinedine Zidane – has made him a darling of the Roland Garros crowd.
For players on the other side of the net, however, Court 14 can be an unsettling and bruising experience.
Canada’s Denis Shapovalov enjoyed every bit of his opening-round win over France’s Luca Van Assche earlier this week, complete with brass band playing, trumpets blaring and raucous crowd cheering his every error. But David Goffin of Belgium, who took on another Frenchman on the court later in the day, was not amused.
The mild-mannered Belgian cupped his ears as he left the venue to loud jeers after prevailing in a gruelling five-set battle with French youngster Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard, throughout which he was taunted by the crowd.
Speaking to Belgian media after the match, Goffin accused partisan fans of “total disrespect” and claimed he was spat at by a spectator.
“It’s becoming football, soon there will be smoke bombs, hooligans and fights in the stands,” he said. “It’s starting to become ridiculous. Some people are there more to cause trouble than to create an atmosphere.”
Goffin, a quarter-finalist on the Paris clay in 2016, urged French Open organisers to take action, adding: “I think it only happens in France. At Wimbledon, obviously, there’s not that. Or in Australia either. At the US Open, it’s still rather quiet. Here, it’s a really unhealthy atmosphere.”
‘Different from football’
Goffin’s complaints triggered a flurry of reactions from fellow players, and the Belgian has since returned to the subject, saying he received plenty of support from his peers for speaking out.
Novak Djokovic, who was jeered by fans convinced he was taking too long to dust himself down after a tumble in his win against France's Pierre-Hugues Herbert on Tuesday, said the sport needed to strike the right balance between entertainment and respect for players.
“We’re different from football or basketball but at the same time, you want a good atmosphere as a player,” said the men’s defending champion. “I really want to see fans cheering and see that atmosphere. It’s a fine line when that line is passed and when it starts becoming disrespectful towards the player.”
Several players reopened a larger debate about spectators making life hard for players by shouting during play – as the women’s defending champion Iga Swiatek found out in her blockbuster second-round match against Naomi Osaka, which ended with the Pole pleading with the crowd to be quiet during points.
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Daniil Medvedev, known for his feisty interactions with fans, said players would eventually get used to the noise if it was ever-present.
“Now what happens is that 95% of matches, tournaments, it’s quiet. And then when suddenly you come to Roland Garros and it’s not, it disturbs you. It’s a Grand Slam so you get more stress and it’s not easy,” said the Russian fifth seed.
Britain’s Dan Evans, however, described talk of “hooligans” in tennis as “laughable” and a threat to the sport.
“The atmosphere here is one of the best. They are passionate and go crazy for this,” Evans told The Times. “The spectators pay hard-earned money to come here, and for some players to tell them to stop being so loud... come on, this is sport. We want the crowd to be into it.”
The complaints by Goffin and Swiatek spurred organisers into action on Thursday, with tournament director Amélie Mauresmo announcing steps to weed out troublemakers.
“We're happy to see there’s an atmosphere, emotions and that the spectators are there. However, we will be uncompromising with respect to the players and the game,” said the former Australian Open and Wimbledon champion. “If there’s the slightest behaviour that oversteps the mark, it will be the exit.”
Already starved of action by the relentless rain, fans were in for more disappointment when organisers banned alcohol in the stands as part of measures to clamp down on unruly behaviour.
Tears and jeers
The French Open has form when it comes to rowdiness in the stands.
During the 1999 women’s final, Martina Hingis walked off the court in tears after she was lustily booed and heckled by the crowd for challenging a line call when she was a set and a break up against Steffi Graf. The Swiss lost her composure and the match, only to be booed again after match-point.
There were more tears four years later when the crowd turned on Serena Williams during a feisty semi-final clash with Belgium’s Justine Henin, causing the American’s game to fall apart when she was a break up in the deciding set. Her mother famously stated that the crowd lacked “class and etiquette”.
Last year, Taylor Fritz got a reminder of how unforgiving the crowd can be as persistent boos and whistles rained down from the stands on Court Suzanne Lenglen after the American repeatedly shushed fans during his defeat of France’s Arthur Rinderknech.
When he wrapped up the win in four sets, Fritz placed his finger to his lips to shush his tormentors before theatrically blowing kisses. The jeers continued as he attempted to carry out the traditional on-court TV interview.
“The atmosphere here is a highlight of Roland Garros – and sometimes a drawback too,” said Peter, a spectator from Germany, who noted that not all spectators at Grand Slam tournaments were necessarily aware of tennis etiquette.
“Some people are just not very knowledgeable about tennis,” he said. “It’s different from other sports, requiring a special level of concentration. One moment of distraction can lead players to lose their focus and let an entire match slip away.”
Give them ‘hell’
A French Open regular, Peter said passionate support was integral to the Roland Garros experience.
“Perhaps the French get a little carried away, but you can’t blame them, they only have a few days to support their own,” he quipped, referring to the home players’ recent trend of exiting the tournament in the opening rounds.
French players have sought to maximise home advantage, sending invitations to members of newly established fan groups “La Tribune bleue” and “Le Koq” (a contraction of the traditional football “Kop” and the Gallic rooster). Ahead of Corentin Moutet’s first-round clash against Nicolas Jarry of Chile, the Frenchman’s coach Petar Popovic summoned the home crowd to Court Simonne-Mathieu, urging them to give the Chilean “hell”.
Unveiled only last year, Simonne-Mathieu is the other French “cauldron” at Roland Garros, along with Court 14. On Friday, the brass band and flag-waving fans were duly present to carry France’s Chloé Paquet as she took on the Wimbledon champion Marketa Vondrousova.
“We’re here to sing, cheer and show our support to Chloé, and get the whole stadium fired up,” said Dimitry, part of a group of a dozen fans in their 20s, wrapped in the French tricolour. His friend Maxence added: “But we’re also here for the beauty of the game – and to respect opponents.”
Despite their best efforts, Paquet tumbled out in straight sets, before the rain returned.
“I don't know about the crowds, but the weather is surely worse than at Wimbledon,” said Nicola from Northern Ireland, lamenting the relentless rain that has dampened the mood this year at Roland Garros.
Travelling with friends from Belfast, Nicola said fans were “just as partisan at Wimbledon when (Andy) Murray is playing”, but also “a lot quieter between points and perhaps more respectful of opponents”. Still, watching matches with French players at Roland Garros is “great fun”, she added.
“In fact, we’re more worried about the lack of prosecco,” she joked, clutching at three empty glasses. “Wimbledon is awash with Pimm’s, but all we can find here is beer or overpriced champagne.”
