Here’s How to Make the Most of the French Open

Wimbledon is a great sporting event, full of glamour. But it was played in a village, a healthy commute from central London.

The US Open is a rollicking lollapalooza, drenched in sweaty energy. But it was played far from the beating pulse of New York City, accessible from Manhattan only by bridge or tunnel.

The French Open—or Roland Garros, as the hommes and femmes of branding like you to call it—on the other hand, is a city event. The venue is roughly a mile from the Arc de Triomphe. In this bike-friendly city, you can leave the tennis venue, take a Vélib (Paris’s answer to Citibike) and be at the Eiffel Tower in 15 minutes. If you can’t walk from the action to your Paris hotel, you’re just a short Metro ride away.

There are some disadvantages to conducting an urban event. For one, in terms of real estate, Roland Garros is—far and away—the smallest of the majors. The venue is close to 100 years old and sometimes shows its age. It also has the most tense relations with its neighbors, who are challenged because it is expanding its footprint, especially tapping public funds to do so.

However, there is an undeniable charm to the tournament. (And, as befits an area of ​​the game named not for an athlete but for a military pilot, there’s undeniably awesome too.) Gems and touches come in big and small ones. size. There is a court that doubles as a terrarium. There is the neighborhood, clustered, as it were, between parks and gardens and high-rise apartment buildings. There are small touches, too, like the on-site orange trees or the secret passages.

Clay-court tennis requires different skills and mentality from asphalt tennis. And the French Open is likely to feature some of the fiercest and most difficult battles of the year—if not all-time classic matches. But even if you’re looking to have a blast, you could do a lot worse than spending a few late spring days watching tennis in Paris. Here are some tips for attending the French Open.

Getting there

• Get tickets, but don’t give up tickets. It’s closer to the US Open than Wimbledon. You may have to pay various fees online. You may have to deal with the scalpers near the Porte d’Auteuil metro stop. But you have to be OK to get through the gates.
• Speaking of … riding the Metro—which is clean, safe, on time and often fantastic—to Porte d’Auteuil is your best bet. That and/or cycling.
• There are many streets that are closed or moving through traffic. You will pay for trying to get too close. If you take an Uber or cab, get off at the Hotel Molitor and walk 100 yards or so.
• Paris has Uber, but it doesn’t stop. Many two minute waits turn into 10 minute waits.
• Bring ID, preferably a passport. I’ve heard stories of people picking up tickets and, even armed with the credit card used to make the purchase, getting into trouble because they couldn’t identify themselves.

In the yard

• There is no better tennis venue than Court Simonne-Mathieu. Full stop.
• As always, the practice schedule is your friend. (And the event is very good about posting times and locations.) Rafa Nadal, for example, favors Courts 5 and 17. Fans who know are there waiting.
• Long live print. Roland Garros is home to one of the few newsstands left on Planet Earth. Patronize it.
• The upper part of the Court Central doubles as views to see much of the Paris skyline, like this one, including the Eiffel Tower.
• The ramasseurs—the children of the ball—played the protagonist. Most mornings an hour before game time, they charge down the concourse, singing their theme song.
• The same holds for Wimbledon, but Americans are always surprised by how late the sun sets. It’s June. Paris is too far north. It is absolutely possible DAY Matches continue until 9:30 pm Keep that in mind when making dinner plans.
• Feel free to take a dig at the amulet-deprived, awkward money grabs that are night sessions. At first women were angry when they thought they were lacking. Then they saw how these sessions played out: the strange ambiance, the way the late finish broke the rhythms of the players. They correctly said, “Nah, we’re fine. Go ahead and load them with best-of-five matches.”
• Perrier > Vittel > Evian.
• The food on site was… good. Not outrageous, not extortionate prices. And the croque monsieur is drawing rave reviews. But you can bring your own sandwiches.
• Tobias wrote: The food inside the RG camp was either poor or very expensive—sometimes both. Make sure you take some reasonably priced French baguettes with delicious cheese or ham with you. It is sold in every bakery on your way to the Bois de Boulogne and is the better choice.
• Just wander around the grounds and notice the little (and again, quirky) touches. It’s sure to be the only major sporting event to offer complementary Haribo gummy bears in some restrooms. There is an orange tree. There is a back passage between the two show courts where you can cross the wild birds. The botanical gardens near Court Simonne-Mathieu are beautiful.
• (Actually better than lovely. At least in past years, the event is about reentry. If you need a break or a nap, buy a baguette and spend 45 minutes or so in the botanical gardens before heading back to the tennis.)
• If a French player is moving, stop. Note the rebellious fans… and how quickly they can get their players back when they start to lose.
• Insider tip: Many players (including Federer in his day) would practice on their days off at the courts across the street from Bois. Before you enter the stadium, it might be worth taking a look around.

Nearby

• The Bois de Boulogne is one of Paris’ secrets hiding in plain sight. Detour through it to Roland Garros. Get ambitious and make a reservation at the Fondation Louis Vuitton.
• To the dismay of drivers, especially cabbies (and to the delight of many of us), Paris has become an A-plus bike town. Bike lanes everywhere. Roads along the Seine. Vélib, the bike-sharing program, is great. You can get a Lime e-bike in your Uber app. There are several stations at the Vélib port.
• The Metro is great. Reliable. Clean. Always. The stops are (too) close together. Don’t worry if you find your hotel a dozen stops from Porte d’Auteuil. It won’t take long.
• Because you need another reason to love France… showing a media card or student ID gets you into most museums and galleries for free.

Misc.

• There is a joke that Parisians love the Eiffel Tower for one reason only: When they climb the stairs at the end they get a panoramic view of Paris unobstructed by the Eiffel Tower. This is the encapsulation of jaded. The Eiffel Tower is beautiful. It is centrally located. It’s a few bucks to go up. Be a tourist and do it.
• Everyone has a favorite restaurant recommendation but here’s the truth: You can’t go wrong. The neighborhood bistro near your Airbnb or hotel (remember hotels?) is as good as the Michelin joint your lawyer sister’s dentist recommended so passionately.
• Le Relais de l’Entrecôte is horrible and touristy and should be avoided at all costs. (Unless you’re in line, in which case please hold my position.) Seriously, this is average, sometimes skinny steak in holy sauce. Like put-it-in-our-roots divine. And it’s fun and reasonably priced. Tip: The Left Bank locations are farther from the tennis, but have a shorter line.
• Contrary to reports, the French do not regard English as a sound made by the devil. Most of the country says this; and say it well. Which helps those of us who are not fluent in French. Recognizing that any language deficit is our fault, not theirs? It goes a long way. Start by saying, “Ex-Koos Em-Wa. Parlay-Vu Ong-Glay?” long way towards eliminating any language barrier.

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