The organisers of Roland Garros say that they are in a “phase of regret” after confirming the tournament has been forced to cut its capacity to 1,000 spectators per day as coronavirus cases continue to reach record highs in France.
Bernard Giudicelli, president of the Fédération Française de Tennis, had previously vowed to “at least show the world we are fighting against this coronavirus” by presenting a crowd. However, the tournament’s initial boast of 20,000 spectators eventually fell to a maximum of 11,500 spectators, which was only lowered to 5,000 one week ago. Earlier this week, France banned gatherings of more than 1,000.
On Thursday night, as France announced a record of 16,096 new infections in the previous 24 hours, French prime minister Jean Castex asserted on television show Vous avez la parole that Roland Garros would have to comply with the limit of 1,000. The tournament begrudgingly confirmed on Friday that it would be limited to that number of daily spectators, noting its disagreement.
“The Roland-Garros stadium will only accommodate 1,000 spectators, which represents a surface area of 120m² per person, so we are 30 times more than the authorised standard. Of course, today we are in a phase of regret,” said Giudicelli.
“The 5,000 spectators in the stadium were already, in our eyes, a minimum mark. However, the government authorities decided otherwise and we can only regret this new constraint.”
It marks the final shift in a Roland Garros that will bear little resemblance to the usual competition. Moved from May to September, rain and storms led to numerous stoppages during the qualifying rounds.
The tournament also debuts its long-awaited roof on Court Philippe Chatrier, floodlights will be in use for the first time and players will compete with new Wilson balls that have been described as slower than the previous Babolat ball. The slower conditions may present an interesting challenge for some, not least 12 time champion Rafael Nadal, who adores faster conditions under the sun.
Top seed Simona Halep noted that she “struggles” with the cold and is feeling the significant difference from last week in Rome. However, Halep has reason to be hopeful. The 2018 champion arrives in Paris in some of the richest form of her career, having compiled a 14-match winning streak dating back before the pandemic with consecutive titles Dubai, Prague and Rome. She is the clear favourite in the women’s draw.
“I’m used to this kind of pressure because I’ve been No 1 seeded in the past. I’ve been in this position. So, no, I take it in the right way, and I take it as a normal tournament. So no extra pressure for me,” she said.
