The Paris Masters 1000 will now be played… in Nanterre. The French Tennis Federation (FFT) formalized, Monday January 29, the move of the tournament to the Paris La Défense Arena, in Hauts-de-Seine, from 2025 and for at least ten years.
Since 1986, the competition has been played on the banks of the Seine, in the 12th arrondissement of the capital, within the Palais omnisports de Paris-Bercy – renamed Accor Arena under a commercial partnership.
The FFT justifies this decision, in a press release, by the need to meet the specifications of the ATP – the main men’s circuit – “particularly in terms of dimensions, reception capacity and format of the competition”. The new hall, with five tennis courts, will be able to accommodate nearly 23,000 spectators compared to 16,800 at the Accor Arena.
“Avoid late starts to matches”
The 2025 edition will thus allow “the organization of four additional matches throughout the tournament with 28 doubles teams compared to 24 today, and an optimized transition to the “4 2” format (4 matches during the day and 2 matches in the evening) on the central in a “3 2” format, in order to avoid late starts of matches and thus respect the fairness of the competition,” adds the FFT.
Jannick Sinner’s withdrawal in the round of 16 at the last Masters 1000 in Paris had rekindled the controversy on this subject. The Italian had finished his match in the previous round at 2:37 a.m. and decided not to appear on court due to “fatigue”.
The tournament is one of the “most prestigious in the ATP”, recalls the president of the federation, Gilles Moretton, in the press release. And added: “We would like to salute and thank the Accor Arena and its teams, with whom we have written some of the most beautiful pages in the history of tennis at Bercy. It was essential for us to continue to make this tournament a highlight for all tennis lovers. With this move to Paris La Défense Arena, we will give ourselves the means to achieve our ambitions. »
