What Is 2015 Open Sud de France

Overview

The 2015 Open Sud de France was a professional men's tennis tournament held as part of the ATP World Tour 250 series. It took place at the Sud de France Arena in Montpellier, marking the 28th edition of the event and the third since its relocation from nearby Béziers.

Featuring a mix of top European players and rising talents, the tournament served as early-season indoor hardcourt preparation for the ATP Tour. With a prize purse of $500,000, it attracted strong competition despite the absence of top-10 seeds.

• February 2–8, 2015: The tournament ran for seven days, beginning with qualifying rounds and culminating in the final on Sunday, February 8.
• ATP 250 Series: As part of the ATP's 250-tier events, it offered 250 ranking points to the singles champion.
• Indoor Hard Courts: Matches were played on indoor acrylic hard courts, a surface that favors aggressive baseline play and quick transitions.
• Richard Gasquet: The Frenchman claimed his 13th ATP title by winning the tournament, marking his first title on home soil since 2007.
• Attendance: Over the week, the Sud de France Arena drew approximately 35,000 spectators, averaging about 5,000 per day.

How It Works

The Open Sud de France follows standard ATP Tour protocols for scheduling, seeding, and match formats. As a 250-level event, it features a 28-player singles draw and a 16-team doubles draw, with best-of-three sets for all matches.

• Draw Size: The singles main draw included 28 players, with 4 receiving byes and 8 seeded based on ATP rankings.
• Seeding: Top seed Viktor Troicki entered ranked World No. 23, while Richard Gasquet was seeded second.
• Qualifying: A 24-player qualifying draw determined four spots in the main singles draw, held the weekend before the main event.
• Surface Speed: The indoor hard courts were rated as medium-fast, encouraging strong serving and early net play.
• Prize Money: The total purse was $500,000, with the singles champion earning $88,000 and 250 ATP points.
• Doubles Format: The doubles title was won by Julien Benneteau and Édouard Roger-Vasselin, who defeated the German pair 6–3, 7–6(7–4).

Comparison at a Glance

Compared to other ATP 250 events in early 2015, the Open Sud de France stood out for its French representation and crowd support.

The table shows how the Open Sud de France fit into the early-season ATP calendar. While smaller than 500-level events, it provided crucial ranking points and momentum, especially for European players preparing for the clay season. Gasquet’s win here was a springboard to a strong 2015 campaign, including a semifinal run at Wimbledon.

Why It Matters

The 2015 Open Sud de France was significant both for French tennis and the ATP Tour’s early-season structure. It highlighted national pride and offered players a competitive indoor environment ahead of the spring clay swing.

• National Success: Richard Gasquet’s victory made him the first French champion in Montpellier since the event moved there in 2010.
• ATP Rankings: Winning 250 points helped Gasquet climb from No. 30 to No. 24 in the rankings the following week.
• French Doubles Dominance: Benneteau and Roger-Vasselin’s win underscored France’s strength in doubles during the mid-2010s.
• Player Development: The tournament gave younger French players like Lucas Pouille valuable ATP-level experience through wildcards.
• Tournament Growth: Attendance and media coverage increased by 12% compared to 2014, signaling rising popularity.
• Pre-Wimbledon Prep: Indoor hard events like this helped players transition from Australian conditions to European surfaces.

Overall, the 2015 Open Sud de France reinforced Montpellier’s role as a key stop on the ATP calendar and demonstrated the enduring appeal of regional tournaments in developing player form and national interest.