Summary & Body
PARIS — The French Open will begin May 24 at Roland Garros in western Paris with an increase in total prize money of about 10%, tournament officials said Thursday. The French Open’s overall pot will reach 61.7 million euros ($72.1 million), up 5.3 million euros from the previous year, according to Amélie Mauresmo, the tournament director.
Mauresmo said the singles champions will each receive 2.8 million euros, with men’s and women’s runners-up earning 1.4 million euros. She added that semifinalists will get 750,000 euros, while players who lose in the first round will receive 87,000 euros.
For doubles, Mauresmo said the winners of the men’s and women’s titles will pocket 600,000 euros, and the mixed doubles champions will receive 122,000 euros. She also outlined plans for the tournament’s opening ceremony ahead of the men’s and women’s finals, describing it as lasting about six minutes and led by French choreographer Benjamin Millepied.
On the technology front, Mauresmo said that for the first time players will be able to wear data-collecting portable devices on court to gain information on their physical performances. Mauresmo framed the change as a way to support players while also addressing concerns that have been raised elsewhere in tennis.
She emphasized the tournament’s approach to player privacy, citing criticism that came from Iga Swiatek and Coco Gauff at this year’s Australian Open. Mauresmo said tennis should “maintain respect for privacy” and have a secluded space, and she added, “Players need a private area, something which will not change,” adding: “No cam access (there).”
Mauresmo also discussed other elements of the French Open’s competition rules and traditions. She said the tournament is “unflinching” on the use of human line judges, while describing them as “not 100% reliable” and saying the French Open’s decision is to “stick to our way” rather than follow Wimbledon and most other major events that have moved to electronic line-calling.
Asked about format changes that would expand the number of matches played in five sets, Mauresmo said it is not something the tournament could introduce overnight from best-of-three to best-of-five. She said the idea could be discussed with the women players, asking, “You can’t change a format overnight to go from best of three to best of five. But if we think about it, would it be only the semifinal, the final, or for all matches?” and added, “This could be a win-win situation but we have to talk about this with the women players.”
Mauresmo, a former Wimbledon champion, added that she would have wanted to play a best-of-five final when she reached the Masters final in 2005, saying “they had just stopped this” and, “I would have wanted to do the final in best of five. So maybe one day, you never know.” She also said scheduling for evening matches would be discussed closer to the time, adding, “We will talk about scheduling when the time comes,” and “Nothing is closed and nothing is set in stone, it depends on the draws and the lineups.”
Beyond the courts, officials laid out plans to entertain fans and honor departures from the tour. Mauresmo said there will be a Jardin des Chefs for fans to sample French gastronomy near Court Simonne-Mathieu, with 13 French chefs working daily, three on duty each day. Organizers also said the Concorde Square, featuring the event’s Egyptian Obelisk, will show matches on a big screen for free during the second week from June 3-7, and that the tournament will pay tribute to Gaël Monfils and Stan Wawrinka, both of whom are retiring at the end of the season.
Finally, the federation’s investment focus remains on clay courts, aligning with the French Open’s identity. Gilles Moretton, a director at the French Tennis Federation, said there will be strong investment in building more clay courts, including real or synthetic surfaces, noting that clay courts make up only 13% of courts in France.