The French puzzle of training on grass

Due to the lack of quality grass courts in France, French players find other solutions, sometimes by training directly at tournaments.

The widely shared video had caused a stir on social media in June 2022. It showed Océane Dodin training with her coach who tirelessly returned the ball to her in a square of… grass laid on a hard pitch. The lack of quality natural grass pitches in France is often a hindrance for French players in their training on the surface when the season arrives.

“I think that in France, playing on grass is almost impossible,” Luca Van Assche, interviewed at Wimbledon, steps forward. There are only a handful of grass courts, particularly in the Paris region: three in Lagardère Paris Racingand one, hidden in the garden of the British Embassy. Too expensive, too difficult to maintain, too fragile… There are many reasons why there aren’t more of them.

Édouard Roger-Vasselin lives in the Paris region and sometimes trains at Lagardère Paris Racingbut the future representative of France in doubles at the Games, admits with a laugh: “ They’re definitely not as good as the ones at Wimbledon.“ “You can go there to tap the ball, but no more. “adds Luca Van Assche. “ERV” divides its training into two parts: one hour on hard ground and between thirty and forty-five minutes on grass. “ for movement, serve and volley and work on support“.

Arnaud Clément, consultant for Franceinfo: sport, believes that the players have not “ not necessarily much need to play on grass “The former world top 10 player remembers the uniqueness of the surface, he who arrived at the tournament venue a few days before the start to try to find his bearings. “ It is ultimately very instinctive. There is really a side I like or I don’t like..” You have to find your way of moving very quickly, it’s completely different, you don’t put your supports in the same way, it’s more slippery..”

“It’s true that you don’t feel that on other surfaces,” confirms Fabien Reboul, partnered with Edouard Roger-Vasselin in doubles at the Olympics.

“It’s a surface that requires a lot of adaptation, which you have to get to grips with.”

Fabien Reboul, qualified for the Olympic Games in doubles

to franceinfo: sport

“Last year with Sadio (Doumbia), we took a big beating on grass, continues the player. OWe had taken a big blow to the back of the head and that forced us to change things in our game to better adapt to the surface. “ Fabien Reboul and Sadio Doumbia have chosen this season to attack directly with tournaments on grass. They played a quarter-final in Mallorca, and a semi-final in Halle, which allowed them to “ feel a progression “ on grass.

To adapt, the most widespread solution remains that of Arnaud Clément: arrive a few days before the start of the tournament. “Usually two or three days before estimates “ERV”. If the tournament starts on Monday, I arrive on Saturday.” This is also the option he chose at Wimbledon. Gaël Monfils, for his part, has no such concerns: having been living in Switzerland for over twenty years, he takes advantage of the grass courts, which are very numerous on the Swiss side.