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New Changes to the French Open Ticketing System

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The French Tennis Federation announced on January 7 that the Roland Garros French Open is about to undergo a major change in its ticketing system. Public enthusiasm for the Roland Garros Championships has continued to grow in recent years and the traditional ticket sales system has struggled to meet expectations. In order to address this situation and provide a more level playing field for spectators, the French Open has decided to implement a brand new ticketing system starting with this year’s tournament, which runs from May 25th to June 8th. This decision aims to ensure that all fans are on an equal footing for the opportunity to watch the tournament, changing what may have been an unfair situation in the past.

Eligibility determined by lottery: a new model for the ticketing process

Under the new ticketing system, fans wishing to attend the matches must go to the online platform for the lottery. Registration for the draw opened on January 27th and will continue until Sunday, February 9th. Once registration has closed, the draw will be conducted by a judicial bailiff to ensure fairness and transparency throughout the process. Participants will receive the results of their draw in the first half of March, and lucky spectators who are drawn will be given a channel with which to purchase the tickets of their choice by the end of March. However, the availability of tickets will ultimately depend on the availability of tickets at that time.

Quantity restrictions added: an important step to safeguard fairness

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In addition to the drawing of lots to qualify for tickets, the number of tickets that can be purchased by the same spectator is also strictly limited. For the main stadiums, including Stade Philippe Châtelet, Stade Susan Lundgren and Stade Simone Mathieu, a maximum of four tickets can be purchased by the same person. For non-main stadiums, there is a limit of four tickets per person between May 25 and June 1, and 15 tickets per person between opening week and June 2-8, respectively. This initiative is designed to prevent individuals from hoarding large quantities of tickets, further guaranteeing fairness in the purchase of tickets and giving more fans the opportunity to come into the stadium and watch the match.

Special treatment for special cases: a demonstration of humanism

The French Tennis Federation has also emphasized that for people with special circumstances, such as wheelchair users and other disabled people, the same ticketing system will continue to be used as in previous years. This fully demonstrates that while pursuing fairness, the French Tennis Federation has not neglected the humanistic concern for special groups to ensure that they can smoothly purchase tickets and enjoy the right to watch the matches.

Behind the scenes: corruption allegations spark speculation of change

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It is no coincidence that the French Open ticketing system is moving towards a lottery. In 2023, Le Monde reported that seven leaders and former executives of the French Tennis Federation (FTF) had accused FTF President Gérard Moreton, his former Chief of Staff Thuys Cavallin, and General Treasurer Jean-Luc Barrier of “organizing the misappropriation of tickets for the tournament”. Although the case was initially closed by the French National Financial Prosecutor’s Office, in July 2023, the General Prosecutor’s Office of the Paris Court of Appeal requested a preliminary investigation. Despite the allegations, Jareth Moreton was successfully re-elected in December 2024, and in an interview with Le Monde, he claimed that he had not been able to get the tickets for the event. In an interview with Le Monde, he said he “knew nothing about it” and said he had only received letters from the French State Financial Prosecutor’s Office stating that the case was closed and that there were no irregularities. However, Le Monde found through emails from the end of July 2023 that the secretary general of the FNF and the ethics committee were fully aware of the attorney general’s decision to reopen the preliminary investigation.

Also at the beginning of 2024, the investigation into the misappropriation of French Open tickets by Jean Gatchasin, former president of the French Tennis Federation, came to a conclusion. The investigation was launched in March 2016 to verify that Jean Gatchasin, then president of the French Tennis Federation, transferred tickets at cost to a friend of a travel agency executive who allegedly resold them at a high price and compensated Gatchasin. After seven years of investigations, searches and hearings, Gachassin was charged with embezzlement of public or private funds and acceptance of corruption, but the charges were ultimately closed and he himself was not convicted. These events have undoubtedly cast a veil of mystery over the reform of the ticketing system, making people wonder whether the reform is intended to completely eliminate the negative effects of the past and reshape the image of the French Open in the public mind.

The reform of the French Open ticketing system has attracted a lot of attention in the tennis world, whether it is to meet the needs of the fans or to deal with the negative events of the past. Let’s wait and see how this new model of ticketing system will work in the future, and whether it can truly realize fairness and impartiality.

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