Tennis Today: Roland Garros unveils new look for 2019, and we get a Serena Williams fitness update

Michael Graham 23 May 2019 8:52 AM

In tennis today, Roland Garros will look very different for 2019, and then again for 2020, and will Serena Williams make it to Paris to see the changes?

What’s on the site
As is now practically customary at Tennis365, we begin with an exclusive.

The utterly wonderful Judy Murray has been talking to us about the current state of women’s tennis and what it must do to thrive.

Serena Williams getting back on court may help, of course, but Chris Evert has said, not to us (boooo Chrissy), that she has growing concerns over the condition of Williams’ knee.

Jim Courier has been talking too – not to us, again (boooo Jim) – and he has backed Novak Djokovic to achieve something remarkable at Roland Garros.

What’s in the news
The French Open gets underway next week and they have unveiled their new environmentally friendly look ahead of the tournament.

Roland Garros is lagging behind the other Grand Slams in terms of modernisation, and will once again be without a retractable roof this year.

That will change in 2020, though, with extensive work already done to support the weight completed on Court Philippe Chatrier.

The 15,000-capacity arena now boasts a bigger size and has installed wooden seats to replace the green plastic.

However, the clay remains untouched.

“We protected it, we put a concrete slab on it all the winter during the work,” said Gilles Jourdan, the head of the project, which is believed to cost an overall 350 million euros.

“But the sweat of Mr Lacoste is still there,” he added in reference to one of France’s greatest tennis icons, a three-time winner in Paris during the 1920s.”

You can read about the full range of new features at Roland Garros courtesy of AFP here.

AFP have also been kind enough to provide a fitness update for Serena Williams ahead of the tournament.

What’s on social media
The adoption story that the world simply didn’t see coming…

View this post on Instagram

First practice @rolandgarros with my friend @keinishikori and look who jumped into the picture 👶🏽😁

A post shared by Fernando Verdasco (@ferverdasco) on May 22, 2019 at 9:52am PDT

Imagine getting to practice with Roger Federer at Roland Garros. You’d Instagram it too.

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First practice at @rolandgarros with the Maestro @rogerfederer 🔥🇫🇷 #RG19

A post shared by David Goffin (@david__goffin) on May 22, 2019 at 10:43am PDT

The Champ is here…

View this post on Instagram

Happy to be with @hublot in Paris ❤️ #greatevent ☺️

A post shared by Simona Halep (@simonahalep) on May 22, 2019 at 9:38am PDT

And we are sure that this is a lot harder than it looks, Sloane…

View this post on Instagram

Putting that work in💪🏾 – @biofreeze keeping me committed #FeelNoLimits #ad

A post shared by Sloane Stephens (@sloanestephens) on May 22, 2019 at 3:16pm PDT