ATP > Philippe Vaillant (responsible for court maintenance at Roland-Garros) on Nadal: “In 2014, we changed the limestone screed on the Chatrier and, when he arrived, he immediately noticed that it was not no longer the same earth, whereas with the eye, we see nothing at all.

On the occasion of the announcement of Rafael Nadal’s retirement, our colleagues at The Team had the good idea to bring out a series of testimonies from people who worked with the Spanish champion at Roland‐Garros.

And that of the person responsible for maintaining the courts, Philippe Vaillant, is particularly interesting.

“I sometimes talk with him during his training, especially in the first days. We call him “the boss”, between us, so we like to know what he thinks of our land. As soon as we make a small modification on the earth, he feels it. He is very attentive to details, more than most players. If he notices something, he will ask what happened. In 2014, we changed the limestone screed of Chatrier and, when he arrived, he immediately noticed that it was no longer the same soil. Whereas with the eye, we see nothing at all. After three days, it was good, he had found his feet. Once he told us there was a little too much crushed brick and a few false bounces. He notices everything. »

Published on Tuesday October 15, 2024 at 2:14 p.m.