WHEN the finalists at the French Open take to the clay court on June 8th and 9th, they may be witnessing the end of an era at the Roland-Garros stadium.
Today's project, first approved by the Paris city council in 2011, then rejected in the courts in March this year, would expand the Roland-Garros site by 50% to 12.8 hectares (31.6 acres), with a new court in the next-door botanical garden and a retractable roof built over the existing centre court.
On the fringe of the capital's chic 16th arrondissement, Roland-Garros has the charm of Paris on its doorstep, but sits on a cramped site.
The French championships, played at Stade Roland-Garros in Auteuil, on the outskirts of Paris, are recognized as the world's premier clay-court tournaments.
Play moved in 1928 to the Stade Roland-Garros, which contains clay courts.
The popular Swiss won for only the fourth time in 21 matches against Djokovic to take his second grand slam title 4-6, 6-3, 6-3, 6-4 in three hours and 12 minutes, and, at 30, became the oldest Roland Garros champion since Andrés Gómez 25 years ago.
Related: French Open 2015: Stan Wawrinka is clay's new king after win over Novak Djokovic Addressing the media later, he draped his trademark "pyjama shorts" over the interview desk, and said: "It will be in the museum of Roland Garros.
But Roland Garros 2015 was super-difficult and she made an incredible job by winning it.
"I've played well at Roland Garros in the past, but my game wasn't ready to win there.
