Talk about eking out the suspense. Or Maybe it was a way to highlight the adornments for the 2023 French Open. In either scenario, the prize money for the men's and women's singles champions was not revealed during a late-morning bash at the Roland Garros stadium in Paris.
Last year's winners – Rafael Nadal and Iga Swiatek – went off to their abodes with a cheque for 2.2 million euros.
Casper Ruud and Cori Gauff, who were beaten in the respective finals, nursed their wounds with an injection of 1.1 million euros.
Ample rewards then for toiling for two weeks on the hallowed clay courts in the leafy western fringes of the French capital.
But the competition isn't only between the gladiators in the arena. Envy and ambition permeates the four most prestigious tournaments of the international tennis circuit.
And why not? Wonderful things for the fans at the Australian Open in Melbourne should be just as much de rigueur at Wimbledon, New York and Paris.
Changes
Tweaks too. Last year, French Open chiefs came under fire when thousands of fans endured tricky journeys home after the quarter-final crunch between Nadal and Novak Djokovic ended at 1.15am.
Broadcaster Prime Video didn't mind. It had the rights to the clash of the titans and milked them for all they were worth.
The taxi companies were in clover too. But the shtick of late from the corridors of the French tennis federation – which organises Roland Garros – has been that tennis is a sport for all. Well, not if 30-odd euros has to be added to the cost of the ticket for the trip back home.
And it's an even more curious stance if those same bosses want to project the game into the areas where football and basketball might be the first recourse for sporty youths.
"It is too late, without a doubt," said Nadal after his win.
"I understand the other part of the business, without a doubt, that television pays a lot of money, but we need to find a balance."
Desire
Nadal wanted to play in the daytime when the sun and dry conditions combine to give his topspin a vicious kick after the ball from his shot bounces on the court. A late start – with falling temperatures – climatically speaking at least, disadvantages Nadal.
Djokovic also said a 9pm start asked for trouble. "TV decides," added the Serb. "That's the world we are living in. Broadcasters say it's going to be night match, day match. They give the money. They decide."
For the 2023 edition, tournament director Amélie Mauresmo has responded to the laments. The night matches will start in anger at 8.30pm. The pre-match show will begin at 8pm.
But while yielding on the issue of start times, Mauresmo continued her recalcitrance over sharing the night matches equally between the men's and women's draws.
Last year, of the 10 late starts, there was only one played by women.
"We want to wait every day to see what kind of matches we have and which match is going to be the match of the day," said Mauresmo on Friday. "For me, everything is open."
Forty-year salute
In 2023, there will be 11 night matches. Equal rights campaigners may well be watching the programming with an even beadier eye.
Hindsight will also feature during the tournament between 28 May and 11 June.
Forty years ago, Yannick Noah overcame Mats Wilander in straight sets to lift the Coupe des Mousquetaires. Noah is the last Frenchman to have pulled off the feat. He also remains the last Frenchman to have brandished a Grand slam trophy.
The drought looks likely to continue. None of the contenders for the men's singles title this year hail from France.
Noah's achievement will be saluted with a special ceremony during the fortnight as well as the unveiling in the stadium precinct of a fresco bearing Noah's image. The pre-tournament charity event has been renamed Yannick Noah Day.
Moment
Quite the homage. "It's going to be nice for us to celebrate his victory 40 years ago," said Mauresmo.
"And for me personally, it's going to be very emotional. His victory is why I started playing tennis and so to be tournament director now and doing this for him, I feel proud and happy about it." Ah, bless.
And perhaps a sign that Mauresmo is growing more confident in the role that she took up in December 2021.
Few would argue with some sort of on-site memory to 62-year-old Noah whose life since he quit playing has included singing, charity fundraising and leading France's best players to victory in the men's team competition the Davis Cup.
"My vision for Roland Garros is to be a balance between tradition and more modern things," added Mauresmo.
"Sometimes, certain people want to go too far into innovation. I think I've got the ability to step back and say: 'Hang on that is a bit too much,' or 'Yes, we can do that.' That's my role."
In 2022, 613,000 spectators flowed through the Roland Garros stadium gates over the fortnight and attendance figures are likely to be the same this year. Hundreds of millions will watch on TV or listen on radios around the world.
No pressure then. But Mauresmo, a winner of Grand Slam titles in Melbourne and Wimbledon, should be more than able to cope.
