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The French Open organizers have introduced dedicated services for players' pets. This measure comes as the number of tennis stars bringing their pets along during the tournament has surged, citing reasons such as emotional stability for the players.
The UK's "The Sun" reported on the 5th (local time) that "the French Open organizers have hired dedicated 'pet assistants' to care for the players' pets."
The media stated, "A total of 10 pets have been issued official accreditation allowing them access to the tournament venue. These include Ukraine's Marta Kostyuk, who reached the women's singles semifinals, as well as Anastasia Potapova (Austria), Anna Kalinskaya (Russia), Hayley Baptiste (USA), and world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka (Belarus), all of whom traveled to Paris with their pets. Among male players, Alexander Zverev (world No. 3) and Zizou Bergs (Belgium) are also well-known animal lovers."
When traveling abroad with pets, complex procedures such as visa issuance and quarantine often follow. There are also many cases where access to the tournament venue is denied. However, the tournament organizers have set up dedicated care facilities behind the scenes to allow players to focus solely on their matches.
The media explained, "Dedicated staff manage the 'four-legged guests.' They oversee the pets' social activities and outdoor walks, as well as schedules for massages and use of a dedicated swimming pool. Two professional 'dog walkers' are stationed on-site to walk the pets every morning and afternoon, and vending machines for waste bags have been installed throughout the players' lounges."
Tournament regulations have also become more flexible. Under the condition that the pets are well-trained and do not bark, they are free to move between the players' areas, practice courts, gyms, and press conference rooms. One manager said, "Pet access passes become wonderful souvenirs for the players," and added, "Players are being guided to carry their pets in travel bags or in their arms, and so far, there have been no unpleasant incidents such as pets relieving themselves during matches."
Players' reactions have also been positive. Potapova said, "Having a pet in the hotel room completely changes the atmosphere and brings a greater sense of happiness," and added, "Since getting a pet, my performance has improved, so I consider it a lucky charm." Sabalenka also shared, "Apart from the difficulty of finding parks for walks around city hotels, I am very satisfied that the pets are adapting well to the new environment."
The media reported, "With this shift in atmosphere within the tennis world, other major tournaments that have strictly adhered to access regulations, such as Wimbledon, are increasingly likely to relax their pet-related rules."
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*This content was translated by AI.
