Beach meets Parisian clay at Roland Garros

Beach Tennis made a successful return to the courts of Roland Garros as the Fédération Française de Tennis installed a court for the final four days of the French Open.

Following on from Beach Tennis’ presence at the Australian Open in Melbourne in January, this was another chance for a new audience to experience the fun and enjoyment of the sport.

With exhibitions and clinics throughout each day, spectators at the Grand Slam were able to not only see the skills of some of the top players in France, but also get onto the sand and try out the sport for themselves.

The FFT are very active supporters of Beach Tennis and continue to work hard to bring more players to the sport.

Jean-Claude Bousteau, vice-president of the FFT in charge of promoting beach tennis, said: “We are delighted to have hosted this beach tennis event at the Roland-Garros tournament. Thanks to the exhibition matches played by the Groupe France players and the taster sessions organised, a large number of spectators were able to discover this sport, which is played all year round in our clubs. Tennis players had the opportunity to test their volleying skills and even try diving, two of the special moves performed in this fun discipline.”

As a sport that is easy to pick up and enjoyable for all ages, there was something for everyone who visited the court, including a children’s clinic on the final day.

Growing the sport is a key goal for the ITF, with Ben Philip, Senior Manager Beach Tennis saying: “We are very appreciative of the work that the FFT do to grow Beach Tennis.

"To have a presence at Roland Garros provides the opportunity to showcase what a great sport it is and how easy it is to play and enjoy. Off the back of the AO Beach House, it is great that our National Associations are embracing Beach Tennis and we are excited to see how these activations continue to grow the sport.”