The French Open introduces head-cams for chair umpires in bid to enhance TV viewing experience
Chair umpire Aurelie Tourte of France wears a small TV camera during the second round match of the French Open tennis tournament between Japan's Naomi Osaka and Poland's Iga Swiatek at the Roland Garros stadium in Paris, Wednesday, May 29, 2024. Credit: AP/Jean-Francois Badias
PARIS — From interactions with players to making the correct call at the French Open, TV viewers can now see exactly what the chair umpire is looking at.
For the first time, chair umpires at the main Court Philippe Chatrier are wearing head-cams.
Organizers hope the camera footage will provide viewers with an immersive experience.
The device “brings viewers even closer to the action, enabling them to discover the umpires’ duties, as well as their interactions with players,” the French tennis federation said Wednesday.
The head-cam footage is part of the international broadcast feed, available to official tournament broadcasters.
It's among new features introduced by the French Open this year, which has a second retractable roof for the 10,000-seat Court Suzanne Lenglen. The 15,000-seat Court Philippe Chatrier has had a retractable roof since 2020.