This year’s French Open has been postponed by a week due to the pandemic and will begin on May 30, the French Tennis Federation (FFT) said on Thursday.
The French Open, which last year was postponed by four months and took place in front of limited crowds, was due to start this year on May 23.
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This year’s edition of the claycourt Grand Slam will finish on June 13, two weeks before the expected start of Wimbledon.
French player Alize Cornet wasn’t best pleased with the decision and slammed the country’s sports minister Roxana Maracineanu.
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“Well, it stays between us, but our sports minister is a disaster,” Corntt told the Tennis Channel.
“Sorry, I have nothing against her, but she only takes bad decisions for sports like she doesn’t care.
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“It’s a pretty selfish decision, to be honest, because the calendar is going to suffer from this postponement.”
The postponement is set to have an impact on the ATP and WTA calendars, especially on the grasscourt season with tournaments scheduled to start on June 7 in s’Hertogenbosch (WTA and ATP) Stuttgart (ATP) and Nottingham (WTA).
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“The decision to delay the start of Roland-Garros by one week has been made in the context of recently heightened restrictions in France, with the additional time improving the likelihood of enhanced conditions and ability to welcome fans at the event,” the ATP and WTA said in a joint statement.
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“Both the ATP and WTA are working in consultation with all parties impacted by the postponement to optimise the calendar for players, tournaments, and fans, in the lead up to and following Roland-Garros. Further updates will be communicated in due course.”
