During the French Open semifinal between Mirra Andreeva and Marta Kostyuk on Court Philippe-Chatrier, tournament officials closed the retractable roof midway through the second set, with Andreeva leading 4-1. The wind was light, not extreme, at that time. There was no rain. And wind is a natural variable in an outdoor tournament.

Once the roof went down, something changed. Kostyuk broke right away, and the dynamics shifted. Andreeva, however, still managed to prevail in straight sets, 6-1, 6-3. The decision would have passed without much fanfare. But the fans couldn’t forget what had occurred on the very same court just 24 hours before. 

On Wednesday, Aryna Sabalenka played Diana Shnaider in the quarterfinals in conditions that multiple observers, including Sabalenka herself, described as dangerously windy. Gusts up to 30mph were experienced throughout the game. The world No. 1 led 6-3, 4-1, served for the match at 5-4 in the second set, and then lost ten consecutive games as the wind wreaked havoc with the match. The roof stayed firmly open.

Former pro Sam Querrey was among those who criticized the decision, pointing out that the conditions were too difficult for the match to continue fairly. Sabalenka raised it herself in her post-match press conference. “I don’t know why they would keep the roof open when it was crazy windy,” she said, before stopping short of using it as an excuse.

The contrast between the two decisions was not lost on the tennis world. Sabalenka, who is Belarusian, played in hurricane-like conditions with the roof open and lost the biggest match of her tournament.

Roland Garros officials have consistently stated the roof’s main purpose is not to counteract the wind, but to stop rain delays. No one was happy with that explanation on Thursday, especially with how quickly the decision was made and how much it seemed to affect the flow of the game. 

There have been several issues with the tournament that have already been criticized this fortnight, including the distribution of prize money, match scheduling, electronic line calling, and the dancing interview incident with Sabalenka. The roof issue piles on top of everything else and is the most important issue in institutional fairness.

Fans React as Roof Decision Overshadows Andreeva’s Semifinal Win

“What a f***ing joke they decide to close the roof at Roland Garros this late in the Kostyuk-Andreeva match. Sheer incompetence by the French Open officials,” one fan posted. This reaction captured the essence of the timing of closing the roof. The officials left the roof open for over half the match. They closed it when Mirra Andreeva was clearly dominating, which made the playing conditions unfair.

Others focused on the principle of the decision itself. “It’s madness that the roof closed when it’s not even raining. Roland Garros is an outdoor tournament, for f***’s sake.” Fans were clearly upset with the fact that, without any rain indication, the roof was being closed. Spectators enjoy how players adapt to difficult conditions, such as gusty wind, and Roland Garros is all about being ‘Tenacious’.

The timing within the match was what struck many. “The roof was starting to close as Andreeva led 4-1 in the second set. The feel of the match changed, and Kostyuk broke immediately. What about the ‘same conditions throughout’ policy at the French Open?” This reaction hints at the disparity in the playing conditions for both players. The fan suggests that the officials closed the roof to favor Kostyuk, as she was struggling under those particular conditions. It helped her to take a break, but that was not enough. 

The Sabalenka comparison came in quickly. “Lmao, Roland Garros closed the roof because their preferred choice was struggling in the wind. This year’s tournament is an absolute joke.” This statement is a direct dig at the tournament for being politically biased. The ‘absolute joke’ is an expression used when no top seeds or former Grand Slam champions reach the semifinals of the tournament in both draws, something that previously happened over half a century ago. 

Others tied the two incidents together without ambiguity. “What’s with players and the wind at Roland Garros. Roof is closed halfway through the second set, and Kostyuk is a totally different player.” 

The implication was clear: the conditions have played a major role in this year’s French Open. Sabalenka, who is an aggressive baseliner, hits the ball harder than anyone. Due to the wind, her shots were not as effective as they usually are, and she did not adapt as well as her opponent. 

Something similar happened with the Ukrainian. Kostyuk also relies heavily on her baseline game. Hitting winners has been the hallmark of her 17-match winning streak, which was ended by Andreeva. In this tournament, Kostyuk has averaged 35 winners per match. In contrast, she hit only 15 winners in total against the 19-year-old Russian, and the wind likely played a big role in that number. 

Roland Garros has yet to make a statement clarifying how the two decisions differ. What it has produced is a tournament that will be remembered as much for what happened off the court as on it, and a roof controversy that raises questions the French Open will need to answer well before next year’s edition.