the moment gabriel’s strike sent Paris saint-germain soaring to their second consecutive champions league title, sporadic cheers broke out among the spectators strolling through the gates of Roland garros. runners dashed through the aisles, arms raised in triumph. security personnel in navy uniforms embraced, fists clenched in jubilation. simultaneously, the chair umpire halted play on the central court where félix auger-aliassime faced brandon nakashima, granting the crowd a fleeting pause to absorb the historic moment.

the distant rumbles of fireworks and chants from the Parc des Princes traveled across the porte d’auteuil district, but the first tangible signs of the victory came from the pyrotechnic display lighting up the late evening sky. no giant screens adorned the plaza des mousquetaires, where fans without court access gathered to watch moïse kouame, coco gauff or félix auger-aliassime. not even the susanne-lenglen court, typically equipped with massive screens broadcasting tennis action, deviated from its tennis-only policy. the penalty shootout unfolded in silence, unseen by the majority. the tournament’s organizers made a deliberate choice: Roland garros is a temple of tennis, and they saw no reason to disrupt the concentration of players by diverting spectators’ attention to football highlights.

a subdued yet vibrant atmosphere in the press room

between 18:00 and 21:00, during the champions league final, Roland garros maintained its usual hushed elegance. the psg-arsenal clash felt like a distant echo, overshadowed by the intensity of the ongoing tennis matches. yet, a handful of spectators wore psg jerseys—some emblazoned with kimpembe or pauleta’s names. a rare few even donned arsenal’s colors, including one fan proudly sporting a bergkamp jersey.

on the lenglen court, where moïse kouame and alejandro tabilo battled, a few supporters momentarily shifted their focus to their smartphones at the 65th minute. ousmane dembélé’s equalizer brought Paris back from the brink, but the atmosphere remained uncharacteristically calm—almost too calm. the fans knew where to find the action.

to witness the final unfold, spectators had to descend to the press room beneath the philippe-chatrier court. there, a handful of screens broadcast the match to a rapt audience. tension and excitement peaked during the penalty shootout, splitting the room into two camps: english journalists on one side, french and psg supporters on the other, united in their elation as the club claimed european football’s ultimate prize.