Somebody asked me the other day, “Why does Paris have two major tournaments—the French Open and the Paris Masters?” It’s a fair question; no other European city can boast such riches, although, of course, the United States has a major and three Masters 1000s.

The Rolex Paris Masters, to give the tournament its official name, began this weekend at a new venue, the La Defense Arena, in the heart of the financial district of Paris. After almost 40 years across town in Bercy, the move is a major upgrade in terms of facilities. The new centre court seats 17,500 people, second only in size to Arthur Ashe Stadium. It has an extra competition court and a practice court, which means the days of the dark and dingy secondary courts at Bercy, with their low roofs, will quickly be forgotten. As will the old media hotel, one of those Parisian hotels where the rooms were so small you could shut the bathroom door with your foot while lying in your bed.

If Wimbledon is the pinnacle of the sport for most, Paris can be considered the soul of the tennis world. Roland-Garros staged the first Grand Slam of the Open Era, in 1968, and the French Open is the only major played on clay, generally considered to be the best all-around surface for the development of young players. From 1969 to 1982, the tournament was held near Roland-Garros, in the Stade Pierre du Coubertin, named after the “father” of the modern Olympics. It moved to Bercy for the next 42 years, where it established itself as the best event in the indoor season, and it remains the only indoor Masters 1000 (Shanghai has a roof but is theoretically an outdoor event).

What made it so good? As always, it’s a combination of factors. Its place on the calendar has always lent it extra meaning. Held in late October or early November, it is the last chance to earn big ranking points, crucial in clinching qualification for the season-ending ATP Finals—or Masters, depending on your vintage.

It has also been the home of drama, not least in the famous walk-ons. Lights out, pitch-dark, the players made their way onto court through a tunnel, and then, in a burst of light, they were introduced to the crowd. Novak Djokovic has won Paris more than anyone, with seven victories, but it was his walk-ons, sometimes with a mask and cape, celebrating Halloween, that stick in the memory. It’s something that tournament director Cedric Pioline says will continue, albeit with a few tweaks.

Until 2011, the slick court surface begged for serve-and-volley and attacking tennis, and it yielded some stunning performances and huge shocks. Greg Rusedski served Pete Sampras off the court in the 1997 final; Tim Henman chipped and charged the then Wimbledon champion Roger Federer off the court in 2004; and John McEnroe got under the skin of Boris Becker in his pomp, by imitating his cough, in 1989.

French players have always overperformed there, too. Guy Forget stunned Sampras in the 1991 final; Sebastian Grosjean (2001) and Jo-Wilfried Tsonga (2008) both won the title; and Gael Monfils made the final twice, while Ugo Humbert did the same last year.

From a media point of view, it has always been a great stop on the tour, a place where food and drink are as big a draw as the tennis. One year, when media dining was on a boat on the Seine, the wine, which was delivered by Monsieur Buzet, ran out. I can’t remember what year that was. Or much about that evening.

At one stage, Paris was in the running to replace London as the host of the ATP Tour Finals. It would have made a great end to the year, but in some ways it feels better for it to be the penultimate significant stop, with still so much to play for. Jack Sock, who won there in 2017 to qualify for the ATP Finals almost out of nowhere, could attest to that.

Tennis indoors can sometimes be flat, devoid of atmosphere. Not in Paris, not with two matches every night and a rowdy crowd, capable of turning even on its own players if the need arises.

And though the venue has changed, this year’s event will again be a showcase for the world’s best. It will also decide the remaining spots in Turin, with Felix Auger-Aliassime and Casper Ruud one big week away from snatching a spot.

The flying Dutchman, Tom Okker, won the first iteration, in 1969, and while Becker and Marat Safin each won it three times, it’s worth noting that Roger Federer won it only once and that Rafael Nadal never did (he made one final). And to date, neither Carlos Alcaraz nor Jannik Sinner has won it either. 

That might change this year, but whatever happens, the soul of the Paris Indoors lives on.