The French Open, also known as Roland Garros, has one of the most special regulations among the four Grand Slam tournaments:
Players are not allowed to train at Roland Garros before the tournament officially kicks off.
What does this provision mean?
That is to say, literally, before the start of the Grand Slam main draw, including during the qualifying rounds, all players are prohibited from training at the competition venue.
But what should we do if the players need to adapt to the venue?
It's very simple, just follow the official arrangements of the event.
The tournament will arrange court training and court adaptation time for all players shortlisted, three times a week, one hour each time.
Here, the specific venue arrangements are different and particular.
There are three large stadiums in Roland Garros, namely Phillippe-Chatrier Stadium, Susan-Lenglen Stadium and Court No. 1.
Generally speaking, the top eight seeds have three opportunities to train twice at the Philippe Chartier Court and once at the Suzanne Lenglen Court.
In specific cases, players apply by themselves, and the tournament organizing committee will make arrangements based on the application situation. Not all player requests can be approved.
In other words, high-ranking seeded players have the opportunity to train in three large stadiums because they have a greater chance of landing on these stadiums in official matches; non-seeded ordinary players will go to another 17 competition venues to train, because these
It will be their main venue for the competition.
So, what is the reason for such special regulations?
First, the space is limited.
The other three Grand Slams have dedicated training venues outside the competition venue. Wimbledon even opened a brand new training venue five kilometers away from the All England Club.
However, the Paris City Hall rejected Roland Garros' request for expansion, resulting in insufficient venues to meet the training needs of the players when the qualifying rounds were underway.
Second, site maintenance.
The maintenance of both clay and grass is very complex and difficult. Before the official competition begins, the event organizing committee needs to spend a lot of time on maintenance.
In fact, Wimbledon also has a corresponding tradition——
Due to the difficulty of maintaining the grass, and in order to ensure that the field remains intact and beautiful at the opening moment of the tournament, players are prohibited from training on the central court.
After all, the characteristics of grass courts will cause wear and tear once you step on it, and after the wear and tear, it cannot be restored, seriously damaging the visual effect. You have to wait for the end of the game to eradicate all the green grass, replant it, and re-mow it. This is a long process.
And an arduous process.
Therefore, Wimbledon also has a special tradition:
On the first match day, the first player to step onto the center court was the defending men's singles champion, kicking off the event.
On the second match day, the first player to step onto the center court was the defending women's singles champion.
In other words, no one is allowed to enter Wimbledon's center court before the official opening of the event. The defending champion's debut is equivalent to kicking off Wimbledon's annual event.
Step onto a flawless green grass field with brilliant lights.
This tradition has become an honor, an extra reward given to the defending champion.
If the defending champion is absent, the top seed in the tournament will take his place.
However, Wimbledon prohibits acclimatization on the Center Court and No. 1 Court. Correspondingly, the competition's practice courts are fully open to players.
Like Roland Garros, it is the only one among the four Grand Slams that completely prohibits all training, and then the organizing committee makes unified arrangements.
But the key is that the players need to train, they need to adapt to the climate and environment in Paris, and they need to adapt to the rhythm of the Grand Slam competition.
Just relying on a total of three opportunities to adapt to the venue, one hour each time, is far from enough for competition preparation.
Therefore, every player who comes to Paris to compete will, without exception, conduct daily training in a private club outside Roland Garros.
It is precisely because of this that qualifying players can often have more advantages at the French Open. After all, they have withstood three rounds of tests here——
The chance of upset has increased slightly.
It is precisely because of this that fans also have the opportunity to get closer to the players. The players have left the crowded Roland Garros. Only a small number of die-hard fans can know the training venue chosen by the players and have private conversations.
The odds are naturally skyrocketing.
This is the situation at this moment.
Although this is Gao Wen's first time participating in the French Open, it is not the first time he has come to Paris to compete, nor is it the first time he has come to Paris to train.
In this city, Gao Wen already has a small group of fans, who are familiar with him once and for all, and more and more fans are waiting at the door of the private club.
Maybe, on social networks, there is overwhelming pressure, but in real life, there are cute faces everywhere you look.
"Gawain, Gawain, Gawain, Gawain! I really like you."
"Roland Garros welcomes you."
"No matter what the outcome, we will support you."
"I love watching you play."
"Gawain, win everything! You deserve it!"
Bustling and bustling.
twitter.
In sight, a group of figures emerged. There were not many, about thirty or forty people, but they blocked the exit alley of the private club.
Looking around, most of them are young people. Their faces are full of enthusiasm and excitement, and they are expressing their support with their voices, actions and expressions.
A second ago, Gao Hongli was still thinking about how to speak.
The next second, Gao Hongli had temporarily put his thoughts aside, playing the role of agent and bodyguard, taking the lead and helping to maintain order.
Gao Wen also slowed down and tried his best to meet the requirements of the fans at the scene——
The conversation between him and Gao Hongli can be put aside for a moment. These fans have been waiting here for a long time and he needs to thank them for their support and attention.
Signing autographs, taking photos, hugging.
This is just basic courtesy. The most important thing is to look into everyone's eyes, respond with your eyes, and deeply remember every cute face in front of you.
pity.
Although Gawain had slowed down, the surging crowd around him seemed to have no end in sight. After all, he could not satisfy everyone's wishes. Amid the hustle and bustle of laughter and support, Gawain stayed for a full twenty minutes before finally
He apologized repeatedly and said goodbye to the enthusiastic fans.
"Thanks."
"Thanks!"
Gao Wen expressed his gratitude repeatedly, and with Gao Hongli's support, he took steps forward and finally left the door of the private club.
"Gawain!"
The heartrending shouts still came from behind, and he reluctantly tried to retain Gawain.
Gawain turned around and waved, responding with a smile, but did not stop.
By this time, the noise had calmed down a bit, and the shouts and conversations gradually became clearer.
"Gawain, wait!"
"etc!"
"Him! Please stay for him. He has been waiting for you here for four hours."
Those hurried words revealed a bit of anxiety, and could even capture a bit of crying, a bit helpless and a bit urgent.