Will a Frenchman soon win Roland-Garros? This is the hope cherished by the French Tennis Federation. But first, we must be able to train the best athletes on clay, outdoors.
For this, a second national training center – which would be added to that of Roland-Garros, built indoors and on a permanent basis – could be built in Nice-Ouest, within the Combes complex.
The best athletes from the region and the department have already been training there since 2016. A feasibility study is underway to determine if the equipment can go a step further: welcoming national hopefuls and the French team.
“This study will also have to determine how these new high-level activities can coexist harmoniously with those already existing, carried out in particular by the Nice-Giordan Tennis club”explains Christian Estrosi, the mayor (Horizons) of Nice, candidate for his succession.
Medical center, housing for young people, offices…
As is often the case, the crux of the matter remains land. “We need buildings: a medical center, accommodation for young people, a few offices for the departmental committee… in order to make it a real showcase for the federation. It gives a boost to the training of young people, to the promotion of women’s tennis and we need a base camp in the South”indicates Samir Ladj, president of the departmental tennis committee.
Why in Nice? Local sportswoman Alizé Cornet was certainly named captain of the Billie Jean King Cup, but that is not the only reason.
With one of the best levels of sunshine in the country, low rainfall, its immediate proximity to an international airport and Monaco, Nice is a privileged site for a national training center.
It remains to be seen whether this is feasible.
