Cédric Pioline: "This is just the beginning for the Rolex Paris Masters"
Ten days before the Rolex Paris Masters kicks off at Paris La Defense Arena, the tournament director Cédric Pioline presented the key new features of this 40th edition – the first to be held in the Hauts-de-Seine venue – at a press briefing attended by around forty journalists this Tuesday.
How has the space been organized to host the tournament?
After extensive discussions between the Paris La Defense Arena team and the French tennis federation, we explored around thirty different layouts before settling on a final version – which is being assembled right behind us as we speak (the setup began on Monday, October 13). The ground floor space is considerable, and we had to find the right balance between the ATP’s requirements and our own needs.
We’re moving from three to four competition courts inside the Arena, plus an additional one dedicated exclusively to practice. The court 1 will feature a temporary stand structure to create a “mini-centre court” atmosphere seating 4,000 fans on either side. In the middle, the court 3 will mainly be used for doubles and practice sessions, with no main-draw singles matches played there.
This year, we also decided not to schedule qualifying matches on the central court, to give maximum court time to main-draw players. Another major change is the ceiling height, which will now be uniform across all courts. Of course, all these adjustments will be carefully reviewed after the tournament — we have ten years ahead of us to grow and evolve the Rolex Paris Masters in its new home.
What will the players’ area look like?
We’re moving into a much larger, more modern, flexible, and accessible venue, which is a real plus for everyone involved. Beyond the competition area, players will have 1,200 square meters dedicated to their needs, including a welcome zone, players’ lounge, restaurant, locker rooms, and more. It will be much more comfortable for them.
What will the schedule look like this year?
We’ll have three matches starting at 11 am and two in the evening session, beginning at 7 pm.
In terms of capacity, we’ll have 17,500 seats available on the centre court – a major step forward that we’re extremely proud of. If I’m not mistaken, that makes it the second-largest permanent centre court in the world, after the US Open. That’s not counting temporary venues like the Davis Cup in Lille or large exhibition events. It’s a stunning setup and promises an incredible atmosphere.
Speaking of atmosphere: what will happened to the iconic player walk-on show?
We all know the Rolex Paris Masters has one of the best atmospheres on the ATP Tour – if not the best! (laughs) That’s something fans really value and one of the tournament’s strongest trademarks.
We wanted to preserve that tradition while giving it a fresh twist. The tunnel entrance you know is gone, replaced by a completely new setup. The show itself will focus more on light, laser, and mapping effects. The size of the venue will allow us to make it even more impressive and it'll last longer than before.
Another new element is a musical signature, a distinctive sound identity for the Rolex Paris Masters. We’ve also designed new, custom-built furniture, backlit and fully integrated into the show experience.
This year also marks the debut of a wheelchair tennis tournament. How will it fit into the schedule?
The competition will start on Friday, October 31, and run through the weekend. It begins with the quarterfinals, featuring eight players competing for the title exclusively on court 2. There won’t be separate ticketing, anyone with a tournament ticket can attend, and I’m convinced they’ll leave amazed. What these athletes produce on court is truly remarkable.
How are ticket sales going so far?
Ticketing has been fantastic! We’re thrilled to share the latest figures: 173,000 tickets have already been sold, and we’re fully sold out for the final three days. We’re optimistic and hoping to surpass last year’s record of 176,000.
We’re obviously delighted with these numbers and with the enthusiasm from fans. Now it’s up to us to deliver on that promise – to vibrate higher, as our slogan says – to create emotion, deliver a great show, and continue to grow together.
2025 will certainly be a year of discovery for everyone, but step by step, we’ll refine everything we need to make the Rolex Paris Masters grow in its new home. This is just the beginning.