French Open 2024: rain will no longer stop play on Court Suzanne Lenglen

French Open chiefs unveiled on Thursday a package of innovations including a retractable roof and a wheelchair event for juniors as part of the new era at the tennis circuit's most prestigious clay court competition.

"The most obvious thing will be the roof over Court Suzanne Lenglen," said tournament directorAmélie Mauresmo.

"It will allow us to have matches when it is raining and give us a bit more flexibility with programming."

The 30 million euro roof will be formally inaugurated on 26 May - the first day of play in the main draw of 128 players.

However, the court which can house 10,000 spectators, will be used for the first time during the qualifiers - matches to provide 24 players for the main draw.

During the final week of the tournament, said Mauresmo, four new events will be played in the wheelchair competition involving juniors in singles and doubles.

"Our idea is to have something different every year," added Mauresmo, a former tennis world number one whose best result at the French Open came in 2004 when she reached the quarter-final.

Her prize money that day was around 110,000 euros. A player losing in the last eight two decades later will receive 415,000 euros.

The men's and women's champions will pocket 2.4 million euros to go along with sporting immortality.

Change

At the other end of the food chain, a loser in the first round will collect 73,000 euros.

"We've always tried to make an effort to reward those players who are lower down in the rankings," said Mauresmo who won the Australian Open and Wimbledon during her 16 years on the WTA circuit.

"And it can help them make it through the season and perhaps support the people who are working with them."

The men's defending champion Novak Djokovic will be seeking a record-extending 25th Grand Slam tournament crown when he takes to the courts as top seed.

Iga Swiatek, his counterpart in the women's draw, will be hunting a fifth Grand Slam tournament crown and a fourth in Paris.

The participation of Rafael Nadal - the undisputed king of the arena - remains a doubt. The 14-time champion, who is on his final year on the men's circuit, said just before his first round match at the Madrid Masters that he would not play in Paris if he didnot feel competitive.

"We're crossing our fingers that he can play," said Mauresmo. "We're watching what happens in his match in Madrid and we're in close contact with his team.

"But if he does come ... whether we do some kind of ovation to him really depends on him and what he wants to do."