Monte-Carlo Country Club: the history of Monaco’s tennis club
The Monte-Carlo Country Club, on the shores of the Mediterranean. © Jean-Paul Bascoul Collection
A look back at the club’s past at Roquebrune-Cap-Martin, on the Monegasque border.
The Principality’s first tennis club was inaugurated on 2 April 1893, However, not at its current location. Try to picture it: the “Lawn Tennis de Monte Carlo” was built on the roofs of the Hôtel de Paris cellars. 4 years later, the first Monte-Carlo tennis tournament was held there, with international players on court, heralding the important status of future competitions.
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The Principality was undergoing a major urban transformation at the time, and the club didn’t stay on the cellar roofs for too long. Twelve years to be precise, before being transferred to La Condamine, to make way for a new wing of the Hôtel Hermitage. A new court was added to the “Lawn Tennis de Monte Carlo.” As the town continued to expand, the club moved to the roof of a garage in Beausoleil and was inaugurated in 1921, under the name “La Festa Country Club.”
The Monegasque tennis tournament carried on meantime. After a number of editions, a certain Suzanne Lenglen caught the eye of a wealthy American patron of the arts. The year was 1925 and the French player, a future icon of women’s tennis, was back on the Principality’s courts after some time away from Monte-Carlo. Georges Pierce Butler appeared to want the best for the tournament and the players taking part. “She needs a showcase to match her star status, not the roof of some garage,” he said of Suzanne Lenglen. With his financial backing, the SBM acquired 3.5 hectares of land in Roquebrune-Cap-Martin, in the bordering Saint-Roman neighbourhood. This kicked off a colossal project to build some twenty clay courts.
The terraces we know today were built under the supervision of architect Charles Lestrogne. There are two or three courts on each level, some for international competitions and others for leisure. For aesthetic appeal, the terraces were separated by large flowerbeds. The brand-new club could now accommodate up to 700 members in the changing rooms, but also provided catering.
The club did not adopt its definitive name until December 1928, nine months after the long-awaited inauguration. On 27 February 1928, Prince Louis II invited King Gustav V of Sweden, the Duke of Connaught, Prince Nicolas of Greece, the Grand Duchess Hélène and the Grand Duke André of Russia to the opening.
The new Monte-Carlo Country Club was now the home of the Monte-Carlo tennis tournament. After the Second World War, George Butler’s daughter Georgia financed part of the club, which had been damaged during the recent conflict. A tennis player herself, she continued to promote the club’s international reputation, inviting a number of tennis stars to take part in the tournament. The venue and event grew together and non-sporting festivities began to take place, welcoming artists from all over the world. Like the Grand Prix of Monaco, the prestige of the trophy was accentuated by the Principality’s environment and its Princes and Princesses who would present the cup to the winner.
Princess Antoinette took over the presidency of the club at this point, at the request of her brother, Prince Rainier III. Her daughter, Baroness Elizabeth-Ann de Massy, took over the presidency in 2008 followed in turn by her daughter, Mélanie-Antoinette de Massy, in 2020.
This year, the Monaco tennis club will again be hosting the Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters competition. In April of each year, the venue gears itself up to welcome over 100,000 visitors who are keen to watch prestigious matches between the best players from around the world. The courts are transformed, in particular the centre court, where large stands are set up. Mark your diary – it’s from 6 to 14 April this year!