Orleans Challenger 20, Celebrating the Fusion of Tennis, Art and French Food | ATP Journey

Challenger

Orleans Challenger 20, Celebrating the Fusion of Tennis, Art and French Food

Every day, a different chef works in the Orleans kitchen and each champion receives a painting

September 26, 2025

Co’met Orléans Open is more than another site on the ATP Challenger Tour, which boasts over 200 events worldwide last year.

Celebrating its 20th anniversary this week, Orleans’ indoor hard-court event is a showcase of tennis, culture and French traditions. This anniversary milestone reflects the reputation of the game organizers to provide players and fans with a world-class experience to surpass and surpass players.

“I wish I was 20! But it was a 20-year-old race,” Championship director Didier Gerard said with a smile, speaking in French in a video posted on the Co’met Orléans Open YouTube channel. “I never thought I would be in many games. It’s so complicated to organize an event like this, but we manage to have a great game every year because of the team.”

From the earliest days of the game, Gerard envisioned something unique. Instead of simply playing tennis, he tries to create a lasting impression, and French cuisine will be weaved in the game. Every day, a famous chef walks into the kitchen to prepare high-quality meals for players and customers. Outstanding culinary figures of the week include Bernard Vaussion, a former executive chef at Elicia Palace, who has cooked for six French presidents in forty years.

No wonder nearly 26,000 spectators flock to the Co’met Orléans each year. However, fans’ favorite events are not without early pain, Gerard said.

“[In 2005]on the first day when I went to see my wife Séverine, I told her the game didn’t work,” he recalled. “In my mind, I didn’t even want to finish the race on the weekend because the boats took up a lot of water. Even though I thought I was ready for everything and everything wasn’t going well, the event was completely different when you manage it than your tennis player.

“One other memory I like was on the last Sunday night my first partner told me, ‘That’s great, can’t wait to think about next year!’ So I had water and fired the same week.”

In addition, art is also the core of the tournament’s unique identity. Each champion is not a traditional trophy, but receives paintings commissioned by local artists. Gerard is determined to create a prize that will not be forgotten and stored in a dusty trophy cabinet.

joy @jakefearnley01 🎉🏆#atpchallenger | @the_lta pic.twitter.com/qebz1cnwu3

– ATP Challenger Tour (@ATPChallenger) September 29, 2024

Orleans Challenger originally held at the 1970s Charm, the vintage Des Des Sports, who moved to the location in 2023.

Orleans Challengers often welcome a star lineup including World 2 Jannik Sinner, who ranked No. 128 in the PIF ATP rankings in 2019. loser. Home favorites Richard Gasquet, Jo-Wilfried Tsonga and Ugo Humbert fill the stands.

In 2010, Nicolas Mahut and Grigor Dimitrov played an unforgettable championship match between Nicolas Mahut and Grigor Dimitrov, who were 19 years old at the time. Mahut saved the championship point and ended up winning the decisive tiebreak.

In addition to exciting matches like the 2010 final, the Co’met Orléans Open brings a unique identity that has impressed players over the past two decades.

“Inevitably, when players come to Orleans, they think they are at ATP 250 or even 500,” Gerald said. “As [Denis] Shapovalov said last year that the minimum is 250. David Goffin is a former champion, top 10 player, and he is used to the biggest venue in the world and he tells us that this is the ATP 500 level. ”