Jean-François Caujolle, how did the Nice tournament come back to life?
Between 1995 and 2010, the president of Nice LTC tried several times to secure a date in the ATP calendar. Twice, the tournament nearly came back but at the last moment the proposal fell through. From that point on, the club’s leaders made recreating the tournament their main focus. Christian Estrosi, the mayor of Nice, also firmly wanted the creation of a tennis tournament. His efforts were truly decisive, especially with the FFT. I knew that both the Nice LTC was very keen on reviving this tournament and that there was a strong political will. Luckily, the Kitzbühel tournament, which was struggling, was looking to give up its slot. Its promoter contacted me and 24 hours later, the deal was finalized.
Is the Open de Nice Côte d’Azur an extension of the old tournament, or rather a new event at the same location?
We are in a different era. It’s very clear when you look at the ATP’s requirements, that it’s not at all the same. The latter is very strict and requires us to engage in significant work at the club level. Being in a traditional club is an advantage but there are also disadvantages: for example, we have to manage the 1,400 club members and inconvenience them as little as possible in their daily activities. It’s both a “revival” because there’s a tradition, but the people who come won’t find everything familiar because the event will be really different.
What do you think is the uniqueness of this tournament?
If you look at the tournaments that have emerged in the last ten years, there isn’t one that is held in a traditional club. All of them are hosted at multifunctional/multisport sites.
The Open de Nice Côte d’Azur advertises itself as eco-friendly. Can you tell us more?
We are implementing a completely integrated eco-friendly project, which is neither cosmetic nor opportunistic. The fact that we operate outdoors on a non-temporary site allows us to set up a five-year eco-friendly project that perfectly aligns with the demands of the city of Nice and the Côte d’Azur region. Specifically, we have drilled a well 40 meters deep, which will allow us to water the grounds and supply the changing rooms with water from a natural well. We also plan to install solar panels to produce natural energy. During the tournament, we will use as many recycled and recyclable products as possible.
Can you tell us about the competitors?
On paper, the lineup is very good. We have Davydenko, winner of the Masters in London, Soderling, finalist at Roland-Garros, Ljubicic, winner in Indian Wells, Monfils, the best French player on clay over the past two years, Verdasco, ranked 11th in the world. There will also be players like Baghdatis, Gasquet, or Benneteau. The last player to enter the draw is ranked 55th in the world. It will be a very high-level tournament. I will grant one of the three wild cards to Richard Gasquet. As for the other two, I’ll decide at the last moment.
It’s the tournament’s first year, but considering the players who have agreed to participate, we have more of a year 3 lineup than a year 1.
Is the proximity to Roland-Garros a positive thing?
The players who genuinely have the ambition to win Roland Garros won’t come. There are only two or three of them and they are too expensive for us anyway. There won’t be Nadal or Federer, it’s true. But the others will either be at the Paris Country Club, the World Team Cup in Dusseldorf, or with us. It’s an interesting week because everyone is on deck, the weather is nice, and in terms of media, all the spotlights are already focused on tennis.
