General view of the renovated Philippe-Chatrier central tennis court with its new retractable roof composed of 11 wings at Roland-Garros in Paris May 27, 2020. — Reuters pic
The French Open, traditionally held in May-June, was postponed earlier this year due to the Covid-19 pandemic and will now be held at Roland Garros from Sept. 27-Oct. 11.The FFT said a maximum of 5,000 spectators per day would be allowed to watch matches at both the Philippe-Chatrier and Suzanne-Lenglen showcourts while only 1,500 fans would be allowed at the smaller Simonne-Mathieu court.
Rafa Nadal and Ash Barty, who both skipped the US Open in New York due to Covid-19 concerns, are expected to defend their titles at Roland Garros. Serena Williams, who opted to stay in private housing as she hunts for a record-equalling 24th Grand Slam title at the US Open, said players should have the option to stay elsewhere if fans are attending matches.