Orleans Challenger turns 20, celebrating blend of tennis, art and French cuisine
The Co’Met Orléans Open is more than just another stop on the ATP Challenger Tour, which last year boasted more than 200 events stretched across the globe.
Celebrating its 20th anniversary this week, the indoor hard-court event in Orleans has been a showcase of tennis, culture, and French tradition. This anniversary milestone reflects the tournament organisers’ reputation for going above and beyond to provide a world-class experience for both players and fans.
“I wish I was 20! But it’s the tournament that is 20 years old,” said tournament director Didier Gerard with a smile, speaking in French in a video posted on the Co’Met Orléans Open YouTube channel. “I never thought I would do so many tournaments. It’s so complicated to organise an event like this, but thanks to the team, we managed to put on a great tournament every year.”
From the tournament’s earliest days, Gerard envisioned something unique. Rather than simply staging a tennis competition, he sought to craft an event that left a lasting impression, with French gastronomy woven into the tournament. Each day, a renowned chef steps into the kitchens to prepare top-quality meals for players and patrons. Among the distinguished culinary figures this week include Bernard Vaussion — a former executive chef of the Élysée Palace — who cooked for six French presidents across four decades.
No wonder nearly 26,000 spectators flock to the Co’Met Orléans Open each year. Yet the fan-favourite event was not without its early growing pains, according to Gerard.
“[In 2005], on the first day at 2 p.m. when I went to see my wife, Séverine, I told her that the tournament isn’t going to work,” he recalled. “In my head, I didn’t think I would even manage to complete the tournament at the end of the week because the boat was taking in so much water. Everything wasn’t going well even though I thought I had prepared everything in advance, but an event is completely different when you manage it than when you were a tennis player.
“Another memory that I like is on the final Sunday evening when my first partners told me, ‘It was great, can’t wait for next year!’ So I had water and fire in the same week.”
Additionally, art has also been central to the tournament’s unique identity. Instead of a traditional trophy, every champion receives a painting commissioned from a local artist. Gerard was determined to create a prize that would not be forgotten and stored away in a dusty trophy cabinet.
Jubilation for @jakefearnley01 🎉🏆#ATPChallenger | @the_LTA pic.twitter.com/QEbz1CNWu3
— ATP Challenger Tour (@ATPChallenger) September 29, 2024
Originally staged at the vintage Palais des Sports, with its 1970s charm, the Orleans Challenger moved locations in 2023. The Challenger 125 event, for which former No. 4 Sebastien Grosjean is a tournament ambassador, is now staged at the modern Arena Co’Met.
The Orleans Challenger has routinely welcomed an impressive roster of stars, including World No. 2 Jannik Sinner, who competed there as an 18-year-old ranked No. 128 in the PIF ATP Rankings in 2019. Jack Draper was a finalist in Orleans in 2023. Daniil Medvedev reached the Orleans quarter-finals in 2016, the same year that Andrey Rublev made a semi-final run as a lucky loser. Home favourites Richard Gasquet, Jo-Wilfried Tsonga and Ugo Humbert have filled the stands.
In 2010, a memorable championship match took place between Nicolas Mahut and Grigor Dimitrov, the Bulgarian who was 19 years old at the time. Mahut saved a championship point and eventually won in a deciding-set tie-break.
Beyond thrilling matches like that 2010 final, the Co’Met Orléans Open has carried a unique identity that has impressed players for the past two decades.
“Inevitably, when the players come here to Orleans, they think they are at an ATP 250 or even 500,” said Gerard. “As [Denis] Shapovalov said last year, ‘Minimum 250’. And David Goffin, a former champion and former Top 10 player who is used to the biggest venues in the world, told us that it was the level of an ATP 500.”
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