At the French Open Grounds, a Guided Tour of Change

A tennis writer has watched Roland Garros evolve and grow for 30 years, for better or worse.

PARIS — In my 30th year of covering the French Open, I am in need of a map. The courts where I have watched so many matches on the crushed red brick of Roland Garros are almost all gone — demolished or remodeled beyond recognition, like the main Philippe Chatrier Court with its retractable roof. Passageways that led somewhere familiar now run into concrete walls or freshly painted gates or take you to new-age landscapes like the sculpture garden behind Chatrier with its rows of ocher deck chairs and its cruise ship vibe. All four of the Grand Slam tournaments have been on a building spree, but Roland Garros at this stage is the major that seems the most transformed.