"Federer was afraid of getting injured": the day when the stars said stop to carpet

Carpet, that mythical surface that saw Connors reign, or even McEnroe, is today relegated to the forgotten corners of professional tennis. Yet, in the 90s, it dominated indoor tournaments, from Bercy to Moscow.

But behind the scenes, a desire for change was advocated by names like Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal. Jean-François Caujolle, who took over the direction of Bercy in 2007, doesn't beat around the bush: "Federer didn't like carpet. He was afraid of getting injured. Just like Nadal. There was even a petition against carpet right after Roland-Garros, launched by Moya, Nadal and the other Spaniards," he states in an interview relayed by the newspaper L'Équipe.

Carpet is considered too fast, not conducive to rallies, and dangerous for footwork. Yet, it made attackers happy for decades. Jimmy Connors won a third of his titles on it, McEnroe more than half of his. But the ATP, in search of a more homogeneous and safer circuit, eventually made a decision.

Federer, although discreet in appearance, directly influenced the shift. To Caujolle, he confided that he appreciated the surface in Vienna. Result: in 2007, the surface at Bercy changed to adopt the one he preferred.

Nevertheless, even if the giants of sports carpet adapted as best they could, nothing worked. Shanghai 2005 marked the beginning of the end. Within a few years, carpet tournaments disappeared from the ATP circuit.