Clay courts are unforgiving when it comes to water. The surface gets slippery, the lines blur, and a court that was perfect an hour ago becomes dangerous enough to play on. Hence, rain in the French Open before 2020 was some sort of a nightmare for both players and fans alike.

For decades, a single afternoon storm could eat up a day of tennis. The matches pile up, the schedules get messy, and fans keep waiting for a match that never comes. The French Open was the last Grand Slam to get a covered court, and it served up every rain-soaked edition as a reminder of that. However, things have changed since 2020, but it still rains at Roland Garros, and it still matters more than most people think.

Here is what actually happens when the weather turns in Paris:

Does Rain Stop Play at Roland Garros?

On most courts, yes, when the rain makes the clay unsafe, play is stopped.

Water does not sit well on clay. It soaks in quickly and changes the surface completely, making it slick, heavy, and dangerous for players moving at full speed. If conditions change, the official call is made by the umpire and the tournament referee. They see what’s happening and move before somebody gets hurt. When the game is stopped, the players leave the field, and the ground staff takes over.

Play proceeds to a covered court, if available. The game is on hold on all other courts.

Which French Open Courts Have Retractable Roofs?

Roland Garros has two courts with retractable roofs, Court Philippe-Chatrier and Court Suzanne-Lenglen.

Philippe-Chatrier has had a roof since 2020, and it was a long time coming. Players had been asking for it for years, frustrated by delays that disrupted their rhythm and their preparation. It weighs 3,500 tonnes, is 10,000 square meters, and closes in around 15 minutes. The Philippe-Chatrier became the first indoor, covered clay-court Grand Slam stadium in history.

Court Suzanne-Lenglen followed in 2024, constructed just in time for the Paris Olympics. Its roof closes even quicker, in about 10 minutes. The two courts can hold up to 25,000 fans and can run two matches at the same time during a downpour. That has made a real difference to the way the tournament deals with bad weather days, allowing organizers room to breathe that they never had before.

The other courts at Roland Garros, including Simonne-Mathieu and all the outer courts, are still at the mercy of whatever the sky wants to do.

What Happens to Matches During a Rain Delay?

When it rains, the sequence goes fast and in an ordered way.

The referee is always on the weather report. When the surface becomes unsafe, the umpire calls a halt, and the players head for the locker rooms. Ground staff unrolls large tarpaulins over the court to prevent the clay from absorbing any more water than it already has. Officials keep a close eye on the radar because restarting too soon means another stoppage and a surface that is more damaged.

When the conditions do finally clear, the covers are taken off, the court is brushed and prepared, and the match continues from the exact score at which it was stopped. Not a point lost, not a game replayed. The players walk back out and pick up right where they left off, even if hours have passed.

None of this happens on Philippe-Chatrier or Suzanne-Lenglen. The roof closes, the lights adjust, and the game continues as if nothing had changed outside.

Can Matches Be Rescheduled to Another Court or Day?

Organizers don’t just wait for heavy rain to hit. They immediately get to reshuffling.

If a high-priority match is scheduled on an outer court and conditions turn bad, officials can move it to one of the roofed stadiums, but only if there is a free slot. Both covered courts are already in demand the moment rain appears, and space is limited. Not every match gets saved.

For those who are unable to move, it is a matter of patience. If the conditions are not good on time, those matches are carried over to the next day. Later in the tournament, that sort of backlog can push several rounds into a very tight window. Schedules can change completely overnight, so fans are always advised to check the revised order of the matches before heading in.

Do Fans Get Refunds for Rain Delays at the French Open?

The answer depends on what court the ticket is for and how much of the game actually took place before the rain came.

Tickets for Philippe-Chatrier and Suzanne-Lenglen are covered by a weather guarantee. The roofs are there so that the games can go on regardless, and there are no weather-related refunds for those seats.

For grounds passes and outer court tickets, the rules operate on a threshold. If the game on the ticketed court lasted less than two hours, the ticketholder may claim a rain check or exchange it. If no play occurs at all, a full refund is available. No refund applies if two or more hours of the match have been played before rain stops the session. Policies can also differ by session and ticket type, so it’s always worth reading the terms on the specific tickets before going. VIP and hospitality holders should contact their concierge directly, as they have more flexibility.