Les débuts de l'ère Open : le tournoi de tennis de Roland-Garros pendant les évènements de mai 1968

Résumé En

In the 1960s, a crisis was brewing throughout the tennis circuit. Although international bodies and national federations were fighting to postpone the inevitable, many players, lured by increasingly attractive contracts, continued to desert amateur championships and tournaments to join the ranks of the professionals. The Grand Slam tournaments, led by Roland Garros, are no longer able to bring together the best players. At Porte d'Auteuil, this has had an impact on the spectacle, and the atmosphere and crowds in the stands are deteriorating. The public was increasingly sceptical about the French Open and the players' final rankings. The flight of the top players to the professional ranks of the IPTA (International Professional Tennis Association) and the sponsored exhibition matches drained Roland Garros of its substance and panache.The idea of 'open' tournaments, to combat the prevailing hypocrisy and reconnect with the public, gradually took hold among some pioneering minds.