At precisely 21:01, shouts of joy erupted from the Parc des Princes stadium, followed by the distant crackle of fireworks. The euphoric sounds traveled through the pathways and courts of Roland-Garros, where no giant screens had been set up to broadcast the Champions League final between Paris Saint-Germain and Arsenal (1-1, 4-3 on penalties).

The victory celebrations, though unseen, were palpable across the grounds. A few scattered cheers initially broke the usual quiet of the tennis venue. Fans sprinted and hugged security personnel in blue uniforms, their fists clenched in excitement. Even the match referee, overseeing Félix Auger-Aliassime’s contest against Brandon Nakashima on the Central Court, paused the proceedings briefly—a gesture to honor the historic moment.

Echoes of glory reach Roland’s tennis sanctuary

The celebratory noises from the Parc des Princes reverberated through the Porte d’Auteuil gates, but the first tangible signs were the fireworks lighting up the sky miles away. The sounds were clear, yet no visuals were available. Much like last year’s final (PSG 5-0 Inter Milan), Roland-Garros’ organizers made no provisions for football fans to watch the match on the premises.

No screens graced the Place des Mousquetaires, where spectators without center-court tickets watched Moïse Kouame, Coco Gauff, or Auger-Aliassime battle it out. The Suzanne-Lenglen Court’s giant screen remained dedicated solely to tennis, even during the penalty shootout—a decision that likely spared the crowd from abandoning the match to chase football in the corridors.

Quiet intensity in the press room

Between 18:00 and 21:00, during the Champions League final, Roland-Garros maintained its usual hushed atmosphere. The PSG-Arsenal clash felt like a distant afterthought, overshadowed by the tournament’s tennis fervor. A handful of attendees wore PSG jerseys—some emblazoned with Kimpembe or Pauleta’s names—and a few even sported Arsenal’s colors, including one with Bergkamp’s iconic number.

On the Lenglen Court, where Kouame and Alejandro Tabilo clashed, some supporters glued their eyes to their phones when Ousmane Dembélé equalized (65th minute). The ambiance was subdued, almost subdued to a fault—but perhaps that was the point.

The match in the press room

To catch the final, one had to descend to the press room beneath the Philippe-Chatrier Court. It was the only space in the venue where the match unfolded on half a dozen screens. The tension peaked here, splitting the room into factions during the shootout: English journalists on one side, French fans on the other, united in elation as PSG claimed back-to-back European titles.