• What the Deuce

Time to embrace the 21st century

Where next for the French Open? © Getty Images

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Nobody can blame the organisers of the French Open for the weather. Rain is to Wimbledon what strawberries are to cream.

But when professional tennis players are reduced to playing their matches in the near darkness, on a court lit only by the scoreboard, comes the realisation that the French Open needs to embrace change, or face being left behind.

Wimbledon has embraced the 21st century, with all but the most fervent traditionalists admitting the installation of the roof on Centre Court and floodlights were a resounding success. If Wimbledon, the only tournament in the world that still insists players wear white, can embrace change, so can the French.

As one of the four prestigious tournaments of the year, the organisers of the French Open have a duty to host a tournament worthy of Grand Slam status - with facilities to match. At 21 acres, the French Open is half the size of Wimbledon, which is spread across 49 acres. Melbourne Park is the same size, while Flushing Meadows, home of the US Open, has 34.5 acres.

Lack of space and resistance to planning permission are putting pay to further development at the existing site, and so the French Tennis Federation (FFT) published a report looking into possible alternative locations for the event, with the FFT's lease at Roland Garros expiring in 2015.

To the west of Paris, the forerunner is a site at the former French capital Versailles. Other options include Gonesse, 16.5km to the north of Paris, Evry, 25km to the south, and Marne-la-Vallée, near the site of Disneyland.

The thought of moving the French Open away from Roland Garros, the home of French tennis since 1928, is an emotional wrench, but it must be a practical reality. Both the US and Australian Opens, admittedly with less history behind them, successfully moved venues and haven't looked back.

There was huge uproar when US Open moved from West Side Tennis Club in Forest Hills to its new home at Flushing Meadows in 1978, but the old site is now all but forgotten. Equally, Melbourne Park became the new home of the Australian Open a decade later, and the event has continued to grow in size and stature since the days it was held on the grass courts at Kooyong.

Wimbledon has embraced the 21st century with the introduction of the roof on centre court and floodlights © Getty Images

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The reality is that the thousands of spectators who flock to Roland Garros come because they want to watch the likes of Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal, not to enjoy the culture of Paris or the history of the venue, and FFT president Jean Gachassin, a former international rugby player, admits that they face a difficult decision.

"I changed stadium three times as a rugby player," Gachassin said. "The young people who do not know Roland Garros will go where the stadium is down the road. It's like that. It's life. Sentimentally speaking, I'm for staying here where we are, but we have to have all that we want in terms of space."

Justine Henin, the four-time champion who fondly refers to Roland Garros as her 'garden', accepts that officials need to be realistic and keep pace with the other Grand Slams.

"I hope they find a solution to keep the tournament here," she said. "The tradition is here. This is my favourite tournament. Compared to other Grand Slam tournaments, which are always getting bigger, it has become difficult in terms of space. Everyone knows that."

The twin towers of Wembley Stadium were a national monument, and there was outrage when plans were revealed to demolish the stadium where England had won the World Cup in 1966. In its place was built the new Wembley Stadium, with increased capacity, improved transport links and the spectacular arch which adorns the London skyline.

A decade on, the old stadium and the controversy surrounding the building of the new stadium is long forgotten, yet the memories live on. England are now launching a bid to host the 2018 FIFA World Cup, and arguably without embracing change and building the new home of football, they would not be in a position to do so.

Sport would not be sport without tradition and history. But when sportsmen and women are earning millions, they are more concerned by facilities than history. With millions of pounds of prize money at stake the fact that Gael Monfils' second round match against Fabio Fognini continued after the darkness had set in, made a mockery of the tournament.

Back in the 1970s the French Open suffered a slump in fortunes as Billie Jean King championed the World Team Tennis in the States. The likes of Chris Evert, Martina Navratilova and Evonne Goolagong-Cawley were enticed by the lucrative contracts offered to play in the US, rather than the prestige of the historic Grand Slam.

Fortunately, the reputation of the French Open has been restored, but if the organisers are to avoid a similar feat happening they need to take action.

© ESPN Sports Media Ltd.