For Marc Maury, the voice of Roland Garros, passion and profession converge

Rafael Nadal has made Court Philippe-Chatrier in southwest Paris his deuxieme maison—second home—for the last 18 years. The same can be said for Marc Maury: a familiar face—or voice—in one of the world’s grandest tennis arenas.

A stadium announcer extraordinaire who additionally translates and conducts on-court interviews, the 65-year-old Frenchman is embarking on his 20th Roland Garros.

Maury’s tenure commenced in 2004, the fortnight when foreign compatriots met to conclude the singles events and produced wildly different spectacles. While Anastasia Myskina downed fellow Russian Elena Dementieva in 59 minutes in the women’s final, Gaston Gaudio overcame a two-set deficit and saved two match points against Guillermo Coria in a marathon all-Argentine affair, just ahead of Nadal’s reign.

“I would say I’m privileged because I do work in something I love,” said Maury, a former decathlete and rugby player. “I’m in the area where I wanted to be, in sports and the sports world. I wasn’t anything in my sports career. I did what I could do.

“I’m happy to be doing what I’m doing. I love that and I will keep loving it.”

The late Prince Rainier of Monaco noted his passion, Maury said, one year during the Monte Carlo Masters.

“We were having lunch at the tournament and the Prince said, ‘Marc, can I ask you a question?’ I said, ‘Of course, you can ask me all the questions you want.’ He said, ‘I’m passionate and I only like passionate people. Do you like what you do?’ He saw my eyes lighting up and said, ‘Well, yes, I understand what you are saying.’”

Maury began his broadcast duties in tennis in Lyon in 1994, and soon became a fixture at men’s competitions in France and Monte Carlo.

He first encountered a 17-year-old Nadal in Monte Carlo in 2003. A wild-card recipient, the Spaniard earned his maiden Monte Carlo win by dispatching the gifted Slovak with the sky-high ball toss, Karol Kucera. (In the next round, he beat Roland Garros champion Albert Costa.)

Nadal didn’t speak much English, but the pair coped thanks to some quick thinking from Maury.

“I came on court with two microphones, one for him and one for me,” said Maury. “And he looked at me and said, ‘No hablo Ingles. I don’t speak English.’ I said, ‘No worries. I will help you. My school Spanish is coming back, but you have to help me. Speak slowly and I will help you to do it in Spanish.’

“So I did the interviews with him for, let’s say, five years in a row in Spanish only.”

Maury subsequently translated Nadal’s answers into French. Intermittently, he translates answers into both French and English.

He sometimes sits cross legged in the stands at Court Philippe-Chatrier during the warm-up while listing Nadal’s French Open and career accomplishments in that mellifluous voice. Nadal habitually acknowledges Maury upon entering the court, and as the latter remembered during one French Open, shook his hand prior to each of his matches. They have shared the stage at the Roland Garros draw ceremony, too.

He looked at me and said, ‘No hablo Ingles. I don’t speak English.’ I said, ‘No worries. I will help you. My school Spanish is coming back, but you have to help me. Marc Maury, on Rafael Nadal

Nadal’s injuries have prevented the duo from convening once more, however.

Maury’s ties to the two other members of the Big Three also stretch for decades. Maury featured in Toulouse in 1998, when Roger Federer collected his first ATP victory against Guillaume Raoux, and proceeded to make the quarterfinals.

The world No. 878 and still a junior, Federer’s ranking—not to mention the ease with which he spoke in public—would skyrocket the following decade.

“He was not at ease at that time. It was difficult. He was breaking racquets. He didn’t like to speak that much in the microphone,” said Maury. “Since then, we did a lot of things together. With Rog, I have a good relationship.”

Maury watched Novak Djokovic, meanwhile, claim his second career title in Metz in 2006.

“I also have a good relationship with him,” said Maury.

Maury’s skill set wasn’t lost on former No. 1 Jim Courier, who might be better known among younger tennis fans for his mic skills as an entertaining on-court interviewer at the Australian Open.

“Marc is just iconic in those ATP events in France, for as long as I can remember,” said Courier. “He has a very warm and rich voice. Extremely soothing. He has a great presence. He is very comfortable and confident on court, which matters, and he has gotten to know the players over the years because of his ubiquity.

“He does a wonderful job introducing the players onto court as well in his role as an emcee, so he is really like a Swiss army knife.”

Maury’s ability to translate is particularly impressive, added Courier.

“It’s very challenging to not only know where you are in an interview—listening to (the player’s) response and what should come next, reaction-wise. To have to translate as well is just an Nth-degree topper.

“It’s much, much harder than what Tennis Australia and (host broadcaster) Channel 9 ask me to do at the Australian Open.”

He has a very warm and rich voice. Extremely soothing. He has a great presence. He is very comfortable and confident on court, which matters. Jim Courier on Marc Maury

Maury was being humble when referring to his time as an athlete. He played first-division rugby in France, finished in the top 10 in decathlon at the national championships, and owns a brown belt in judo.

His love of sports blossomed during a 10-year stint living in Algeria from age seven to 17. His parents, both teachers, planned the stay abroad—his mom, Debondt, now 92, has been a huge influence. Teaching never left the family.

Maury’s sister, four years younger, teaches, and Maury himself worked in the same field briefly.

But while in Paris, he branched out to modeling and acting, featuring in movies—including Henry & June, starring Uma Thurman—plays and commercials.

His current vocation has proved to be more stable, yet it began in unplanned circumstances.

Competing at the French championships in, he suspected, 1983, Maury hurt his hamstring in his first event, the 100 meters.

“After 80 meters I pulled a hamstring, so the weekend was already over,” he said. “So I said, ‘I’m leaving.’ The national head coach said, ‘No. You stay. You will do something I don’t want to do.’”

Which turned out to be emceeing and chatting with fans.

“I loved it,” he said. “Then after the weekend, they all said it was entertaining and that I should keep doing it, maybe for the next meets.”

So it proved. He is a regular in rugby and track and field, even interviewing Usain Bolt at the Olympics.

When asked who owned the better voice, himself or renowned chair umpire Kader Nouni, Maury laughed.

“Kader has a wonderful voice. Kader is our crooner. He’s like the great singers,” said Maury, an artist in his own right.