A new era for Jeu de Paume de Navarre in Pau
The French Real Tennis Association is very proud to share this article published in La République des Pyrénées on Saturday, October 11, 2025.
The project involves “redeveloping a court to international standards.”
The renovation should start in February 2026.
" We are in a historial building that will regain its original purpose after having been converted into a Trinquet court in the 1950s. ".
The article is available on line via this linkas well as in PDF format..
The Jeu de Paume at Parc Beaumont was built in 1887, modeled after the Jeu de Paume des Tuileries in Paris by the same architect, Melchior Viraut. >Previously, a royal *jeu de paume* court was located in the moat of the château and was used by the future King Henry IV (born in 1553); that court disappeared during the 18th century. Initially a major venue for *courte paume* in Pau, the interior of the building was later adapted for Basque pelota from 1952 to 2023.Today, only *courte paume* is played there by members of the Jeu de Paume de Navarre association. The building is located in a protected urban zone (ZPPAUP) and belongs to the City of Pau.
Under the leadership of Stéphane Hochart, the club’s recently appointed president, together with a renewed leadership team, the club’s historic real tennis court advances into the final phase to comply with international standards for the first time in over two decades. Backed by the city of Pau, the court in Pau will be firmly restored on the global map of this centuries-old sport and thus able to host world-class tournaments. With support from champions such as Wayne Davies, the project aims to boost tourism and the local economy, while opening the game to young people and women through school partnerships and outreach programs. The restoration, community engagement, and renewed training efforts mark a significant step toward bringing back the royal game’s former prestige at the foot of the Pyrenees. The target start date is February 2025. An update will be shared as the project advances and gets closer to an opening date.Fun fact: In 1893 Marguerite Broquetis, who was born in Pau, became the first female Olympic champion in any discipline during the 1912 games. She was the daughter of the ‘Maître Paumier of this court at the time and excelled at tennis long before Suzanne Lenglen. click here.
