PARIS – An event intended to commemorate Mary Pierce, the last Frenchwoman to achieve victory at the French Open, has been canceled due to her absence, according to French Open officials on Wednesday.
The tribute was initially planned for Thursday, set between the women’s semifinal matches at the prestigious clay-court Grand Slam. However, Pierce is unable to attend this week because of personal commitments, the organizers explained.
Mary Pierce clinched the singles title at Roland-Garros in 2000, marking the most recent singles triumph for a French tennis player of either gender at the tournament. During the same year, the 50-year-old also secured the doubles championship. Besides her accomplishments at the French Open, Pierce also captured a Grand Slam singles title at the 1995 Australian Open and contributed to France’s success in winning two Fed Cup titles.
The occasion aimed to commemorate the 25th anniversary of Pierce’s triumph at Roland-Garros and her 2019 induction into the International Tennis Hall of Fame, as noted by French Open organizers.