The French Open will be held from May 26th to June 9th on the famed red clay of Roland Garros and during that time, tennis fans in attendance will be given a chance to watch pickleball played on the north forecourt of Philippe-Chatrier court.

During the final four days of the tournament, another pickleball court will be set up on Court 5.

FTF embracing pickleball?

This continues the recent incorporation of pickleball by the French Tennis Federation, the governing body for tennis in France.

According to a recent press release, the FTF said,

“Spectators at Roland-Garros will be able to discover and get a taste of Pickleball, a racquet sport from the United States that is becoming increasingly popular in France and Europe.

"This discipline, which has recently been incorporated into the FTF's regulations, is not just fun to play but very accessible."

There is even a mention of the FTF launching their own "pickleball license" for the 2024/2025 season. What this means remains to be seen, but with pickleball continuing to grow, it would be smart to hop on the bandwagon soon or risk missing it altogether.

Nadal is expected to be there

Rafael Nadal, who has recently been struggling due to persistent injuries, is expected to make an appearance (perhaps his last?) at the major championship he has won a record 14 times.

It would be amazing to see Nadal on a pickleball court swinging forehands at pickleballs after his tennis career ends. Maybe the powers that be can get him onto Court 5 during those last four days.

Just a thought.

Can't we all just get along?

While it would be enjoyable to poke fun at Big Tennis finally giving up its fight against Big Pickle, it's quite exciting to see this type of collaboration between sports.

With so much internal bickering and infighting happening now with pickleball, maybe a truce between the tennis and pickleball communities is in everyone's best interest.