Ex-women’s number one Amelie Mauresmo was yesterday named director of the French Open, replacing Guy Forget. Mauresmo will be in place until at least 2024, French tennis federation president Gilles Moretton said.
A two-time Grand Slam winner (Australian Open and Wimbledon in 2006) and 2004 Olympic singles silver medallist in Athens, the 42-year-old Mauresmo expressed her “pride” at being named director of Roland Garros, the premier claycourt tournament in the world and federation’s principal source of revenue. Forget, who’d been in place since 2016 and also overseen the Paris Masters since 2012, was nearing the end of his contract but turned down potential offers, according to Moretton.
Meanwhile International Tennis Federation (ITF) source confirmed yesterday no events will be held held in China in 2022. The source did not say if the move was linked to concerns over the health and safety of doubles star Peng Shuai. In the last full season in 2019 before the Covid-19 pandemic, China hosted about 25 ITF women’s and 15 men’s events. World Tennis Tour events are professional tournaments below the elite level. The ITF Women’s World Tennis Tour offers approximately 500 tournaments across 65 countries offering prize money from $15,000 to $100,000.