Novak Djokovic, world number one, claimed to have injured himself by slipping on the Philippe Chatrier court, where there was not enough clay according to him, this Monday, June 3. Did you know that the history of clay begins in the Alpes-Maritimes?
The clay court of Roland-Garros is the talk of the town. Qualified for his fifteenth quarter-final in a row at Roland-GarrosNovak Djokovic almost gave up in the round of 16 against Francisco Cerundolo, Monday June 3.
The fault lies with an injury contracted in the second set. Novak Djokovic railed against the state of the Philippe Chatrier court, which he believes was responsible for this injury: “Because of the drier, warmer conditions that affected the pitch, it became very slippery. I injured my knee today because of that, because I slipped. Everyone slips on the clay, sure. But I slipped too many times.
We tell you everything about its history which spanned the whole of France, from Vallauris in the Alpes-Maritimes to the Waziers brickworks in the North.
Initially, tennis was the tennis game played by aristocrats in the 18 e century. A sport that they practiced on grass with nails to mark off the pitch.
Until the arrival in Cannes of the Renshaw twins in 1878. These lords were passionate about tennis and very quickly, they invited their friends, had courts built and organized competitions. But playing on grass does not suit them, particularly because of the sunshine and drought. During a visit to Vallauris, still in the Alpes-Maritimes, they discovered the work of potters who use this terracotta powder, this famous red earth.
They then decided to spread this raw material on soil with, then without, grass to make clay.
At Roland Garros, it is Philippe Vaillant who has managed the maintenance of the courts for many years and this land which is said to be “the best in the world.” In his hands: 40 tons of beautiful ocher earth.
During the tournament, a real “army” arrives as reinforcements to maintain these 32 courts. The word is hardly too strong. The 200 employees are recognizable by their blue outfit during the week, white on the weekend.
We find pebbles to form the draining layer, clinkers for a water reserve, the compacted limestone screed and above, the crushed brick for visual contrast. This also allows for gliding and support for the players. Don’t look for land, there isn’t any!
Philippe Vaillant, in charge of the grounds at Roland Garros-.
Nice LTC was founded in 1890 at Parc Impérial in Nice when clay began to cover the courts. With its 18 clay courts and numerous competitions, the equipment at the Nice Lawn Tennis Club is closely monitored here. Not a day goes by without agents, trained with specialists from Roland-Garros courses, taking care of it.
“Clay is a living material that must be taken care of daily,” according to Didier Frantz, former sports director at Nice LTC.
“Here, we play all year round. It is therefore very important that the pitches meet the expectations of the players. Whether it is hot or cold, these temperatures deteriorate the pitches,” according to Didier Frantz, former sports director at Nice LTC
►See the report from France 3 Côte d’Azur on the preparation of clay for the Nice Côte d’Azur Open on May 7, 2012:
This is why every evening, all the tennis courts are almost flooded to cope with the drought and the Mediterranean climate. Considerable watering is required to maintain humidity, especially during the summer period.
If necessary, discussions are regularly undertaken to completely redo the courses. In 2020, the French Tennis Federation (FFT) only lists 16% of clay courts. There are 4,963 clay courts.
In a 2017 interview, the equipment manager at the FFT explained the drop in the number of ocher pitches:
It can be explained by “the ‘10,000 courts’ operation initiated in the 1980s and which mainly enabled the development of hard courts”. But today, the FFT and its leaders wish, with the federal program, to restore all their letters of nobility to traditional earth courts and clubs. Firstly because this surface has many qualities.
according to Gaël Bonnaire, equipment manager at the French Tennis Federation,
To support this surface which we understand is delicate in terms of maintenance and encourage its development, an association even offers to defend it! This is the ADTB: clay court defense association.
As for the French Tennis Federation, the FFT, its “equipment service” offers a free service to all affiliated clubs, via the leagues, in order to advise and support them, from the maintenance of existing fields to the construction of new equipment. Financing is even possible.
As for the “red gold” of Roland-Garros, it remains to be seen who will be the king this year.
