Paris Masters Set to Debut on One of the World’s Largest Tennis Courts

The Paris Masters is set to make its debut at its new home, La Défense Arena, later this month — a venue whose main court will rank as the second largest on the global tennis circuit, just behind the US Open’s Arthur Ashe Stadium.

The modern indoor arena, opened in 2017 in Paris’s western suburbs, also serves as the home ground for French rugby club Racing 92.

Tournament director Cédric Pioline, speaking ahead of the 2025 edition scheduled for October 27 to November 2, revealed that the centre court will seat around 17,500 spectators. “That makes it the second biggest court in the world for annual tournaments, behind the US Open’s centre court,” the former world number five explained. Additional courts will host about 4,000 fans each, with a smaller third court accommodating a few hundred.

Earlier this year, organisers signed a 10-year agreement to host the Masters 1000 event at La Défense Arena, aligning with ATP standards for top-tier tournaments.

The move follows long-running concerns that the tournament’s previous home, Bercy Arena — which hosted the event since 1986 — could lead to a downgrade due to space limitations. “Without evolving, we risked losing Masters status within four or five years,” Pioline said.

The new venue will offer more space for players and meet updated ATP specifications, including higher ceilings and larger court dimensions. “At Bercy, the outside courts were too tight for today’s level of athleticism, and the ceiling height fell short of the required 12 metres. Overall, it felt restrictive,” he noted.

Pioline confirmed that one of the Paris Masters’ signature traditions — the dramatic player walk-ons — will continue, albeit with a refreshed design. “A new venue calls for a new show. It will be more vertical, more dynamic, and use laser-style lighting to create an immersive experience,” he said.

The tournament director added that fans could look forward to seeing the sport’s top two players, Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner, compete for valuable ranking points as the season draws to a close.

“The 1,000 ATP points up for grabs could be decisive in the race for the year-end number one,” Pioline said.

Both players recently withdrew from tournaments in Asia due to injuries — Alcaraz after his Japan Open win and Sinner during the Shanghai Masters — but are expected to return for the packed late-season schedule, which includes the ATP Finals in Turin and the Davis Cup Finals in Bologna.