By Richard Pagliaro | Tuesday, October 28, 2025
Photo: Matthew Calvis
The reigning Rolex Paris Masters champion Alexander Zverev gives mixed reviews for the tour’s new home
This is the first year that the Rolex Paris Masters is being staged at the Paris La Defense Arena after years at the Accor Arena in Paris Bercy.
Zverev, who beat France’s Hugo Humbert in the Paris final last October, praises the young players’ dressing room but calls the outdoor courts “a bit messy”.
The world number 3 says the issue is that noise from neighboring courts can be heard on court, which is a distraction.
“I think there are things that were maybe a little bit better at Bercy. I would say maybe the practice courts. The courts of the second match are nicer in their appearance, but they are a bit of a mess,” Zverev told media in Paris today. “You know, they’re pretty loud from the other courts, right? Like, if you play on one of the outfields, you’ve got noise from Court 1, you’ve got noise from the Stadium Court speakers. It’s a little bit, like, there’s a lot going on.
“So yes, but then again, I haven’t played center field yet and maybe I can tell you more tomorrow.”
The third German, who will play No. 49 Camilo Ugo Carabelli in his opening match, is not the first player to raise the issue of noise at La Defense Arena.
Tournament director Cedric Pioline said the tournament opted for blackout curtains between courts instead of soundproof curtains to absorb sound from the adjacent court.
Ultimately, the new Rolex Paris Masters is likely to be louder than previous editions, with the atmosphere more like a lively Roland Garros crowd, Pioline said. Part of this is due to the fact that La Defense Arena is larger than the Accor Arena, the event’s former home in Bercy, as Pioline says it is the second largest stadium court in the sport after Arthur Ashe Stadium in New York.
The tournament director suggests loud cheers that show the fans are excited and engaged.
“What we decided to do was better to choose blackout curtains instead of soundproof curtains so that the sound could be absorbed,” Pioline told media in Paris. “Now, I think the way in which we will experience the Rolex Paris Masters will evolve. We have a new venue with a new structure.
“Maybe the identity of the tour will be closer to events like Roland Garros, where there’s a lot of noise, a lot of just living. That’s the direction we’re going.”
The City of Light will be the sound and light tour in its new home, the tour director said.
“Auxiliary costs will evolve in terms of capacity, as well as in terms of standards,” Pioline said. “There were some standards that we didn’t meet, like the ceiling height. There are elevated fields. Four thousand square feet. It’s actually an improvement.”
