At Roland-Garros, Djokovic, Tsitsipas and Zverev make children’s eyes shine

In the streets leading to the stadium, visitors do not hide their impatience this Saturday morning. Armed with their tickets, summer outfits on their backs, caps on their heads, they are about to enter the grounds of Roland-Garros. Today, no playoff games, but a big party that finally returns after two years of absence. Children’s Day, a popular and accessible event thanks to tickets at 20 euros, was finally able to find its audience after being deprived of it because of the Covid-19. Each year, it aims to raise funds to finance solidarity actions in clubs affiliated to the French Tennis Federation, in particular in favor of young people from disadvantaged neighborhoods, adapted tennis sports, healthy tennis and paratennis.

While at the entrance, a few young tennis lovers are being made up by entertainers in long dresses, further on, a group is singing Celine Dion’s hits and announcing the color: this Saturday, visitors are invited to party . Under a tree, chic jugglers in period clothes twirl rackets while families and groups of friends (Children’s Day isn’t just for kids!) wait for a treat or two . What to make sure to have a good day.

But it is on the exchange that the show is particularly awaited. As the visitors settle down and take advantage of the sun and the spring heat for lunch, on the court, the Greek Stefanos Tsitsipas offers them a fine exhibition match against the Uruguayan Pablo Cuevas. After getting a scare slipping on clay, the fourth player in the world wins the set to the cheers of the fans. After a few words at the microphone in which he notably congratulated the organization of the tournament for its increasingly ecological approach, “a subject that we do not talk about enough”, the 23-year-old champion leaves the field, not without signing many autographs.

children’s dream

At 2 p.m., DJ Bob Sinclar, a tennis enthusiast and loyal to Roland-Garros for years, finally climbs onto the stage to warm up his turntables. Accompanied by his long-time comrade, Big Ali, he promises to set the mood and make Philippe-Chatrier dance. And while comedian Inès Reg takes the microphone to announce the first guests, the crowd rushes to the stands to find the last free seats. The first team to take their place on clay puts the Olympic spirit in the spotlight. On one side, the German Alexander Zverev, third player in the world and gold medalist at Toyko, is accompanied by fencer Astrid Guyart, silver medalist in team foil last summer. Opposite, the Swiss Belinda Bencic, who also won the tournament in Japan, meets her partner of the day, the French skier Arthur Bauchet, triple Paralympic champion in downhill, Super-Combined and slalom in Beijing in 2022 .

To the sound of Bob Sinclar’s set, the doubles match was played in a good mood, with neither winner nor loser. Before leaving the court, Arthur Bauchet offers himself “a little kiff” by lying on the ground of the central, acclaimed by a whole stadium. The dream of a lifetime for the young man more accustomed to immaculate snow than to the ocher clay. “We’ve never won the final here, we can’t do that,” jokes Belinda Bencic. Other shock participants then take over from these first teams. Actress Shirine Boutella, singer Joyce Jonathan, DJ César de Rummel, and host Guillaume Pley compete alongside Canadian tennis player Denis Shapovalov. In turn, several children chosen from the audience are invited to hit the ball with them.

Something to make their eyes shine and offer them moments forever etched in their memory. Especially since at 3 p.m., a roar resounds in the stadium. THE star, the world number 1, Novak Djokovic, enters the center. The stands vibrate. Forgotten the controversies and scandals of the last Australian Open in Paris, the Serb enjoys exceptional popularity. Always present for Children’s Day, “Nole” knows how to talk to the public and can always be counted on to encourage them. After a few minutes on the field, hitting the ball sometimes with a young and brilliant ball boy, sometimes with an ultra-motivated Inès Reg, Novak Djokovic offers himself a little walkabout in front of the children who have come down by the dozens to have their bullets and notebooks. This should put the title holder in the best conditions before the official start of the competition.

A tree for Ukraine

And while the Philippe-Chatrier gets carried away, the other courts are also the scene of great entertainment. On the Suzanne-Lenglen, a legends match is offered at 4 p.m. On court number 9, wheelchair tennis takes pride of place. As for the aisles of the stadium, they attract the eyes of children and the delicacies of parents with their stands of sweets, popcorn and ice cream. A must, also, in one of the many shops in the stadium, which despite high prices, are always full board. How can you resist a collector’s keychain, an official cap or a t-shirt that you can proudly wear to school on Monday…

This day under the Parisian sun was also an opportunity to recall the tournament’s commitment to Ukraine. A “Tree for childhood and peace” was planted in the garden of the Musketeers in the presence of Gilles Moretton, President of the FFT, Amélie Mauresmo, Tournament Director, Ukrainian players Anhelina Kalinina and Dayana Yastremska and Geoffroy de la Bourdonnaye, Vice-President of UNICEF. A hundred Ukrainian children were also invited for this emotional moment.