The BNP Paribas Masters international tennis tournament has begun today in Paris – the French capital city bidding to host the 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games. Capacity crowds are expected for each day of the week-long tournament, underlining the passion for Olympic and Paralympic sport in Paris and across France, and the city and country’s exceptional track record in the delivery of major sports events.
Featuring the world’s best players, the ATP World Tour Masters 1000 event is taking place at the AccorHotels Arena, a proposed Paris 2024 venue that will be known as Paris Arena I during the Games. The contemporary venue will host the basketball finals and judo during the Olympic Games and wheelchair basketball at the Paralympic Games.
The arena has been the city’s prime indoor events venue since its construction in 1984. Situated in central Paris in walking distance from mainline station, Gare de Lyon, it is the biggest indoor multi-sport arena in France and also doubles as a state of the art concert venue.
The venue underwent a major renovation in 2015 with a special focus on enhancing spectator experience and it has repeatedly proven its reputation as a world renowned indoor arena, having accommodated over thirty million spectators at hundreds of events, including:
§ ATP Masters 1000 (every year since 1986)
§ IAAF World Indoor Championships (1997)
§ FIBA Eurobasket Finals (1999)
§ IHF World Men’s Handball Championship (2001)
§ Davis Cup Final (2002)
ITTF World Table Tennis Championships (2003 and 2013)
§ Judo Grand Slam Paris (every year since 2004)
Future World Championship events that will be held at the venue include the IHF Men’s World Handball Championships 2017, UWW World Senior Wrestling Championships 2017 and the IIHF Ice Hockey World Championship 2017.
The Fed Cup final – the climax of the premier international team competition in women's tennis – will be held in November in Strasbourg in eastern France, another proof point that France lives and breathes major sports events.
The tennis tournaments at the Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games will be held at the iconic Roland-Garros located within walking distance of Parc des Princes (football venue) and Stade Jean Bouin (rugby sevens venue) – highlighting the compactness of the city-centre Games plan.
Two of the key sponsors associated with this week’s tournament – BNP Paribas and AccorHotels – are among the 13 Official Partners of the Paris 2024 bid that have together contributed more than €26 million in private sector funding.
Paris 2024 Co-President, Tony Estanguet, said:
"It is great to see yet another major sports event taking place at one of our proposed venues for Paris 2024. Paris has hosted the ATP Masters 1000 for the last 30 years demonstrating our strong track record in delivering international sports events including multiple World Championships in Olympic sports and several world renowned annual events. Our enviable reputation in major event delivery proves that Paris 2024 can be trusted partners for the Olympic and Paralympic Movement.
"This week we will see thousands of sports fans from across Paris and France showing their true passion for Olympic sport. Our promise is to harness this enthusiasm and help the Olympic Movement to create a new generation of fans globally by offering packed out venues and the best possible showcase for Olympism and Olympic and Paralympic sport.
"As with many of our venues, the central location of the Paris Arena I is a key part of our city-centre Games plan. The compactness of our plan means that the city centre itself, bordered by the River Seine, will serve as the Olympic Park – hosting world class sport in iconic locations. The city centre will be alive with fans travelling from venue to venue, either on foot or served by our first class public transport system."
For more information, please contact:
Raphaël Leclerc
Paris 2024 Bid Committee
Email: rleclerc@paris2024.org
Tel: +33 6 73 16 88 06
Rob Fawdon
VERO Communications
Email: rfawdon@verocom.co.uk
Tel: +44 (0)7769 216 649
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