French Open to Allow Fans at Tournament
(September 7, 2020) The French Tennis Federation announced that a limited amount of fans would be able to attend the upcoming Roland Garros tournament which begins on September 27. The tournament which usually begins in may was delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The FFT clarifies the conditions under which Roland-Garros 2020 can be held and gets ready to welcome tennis fans on 21st September : #RolandGarros pic.twitter.com/IFcbNFuzc0
— Roland-Garros (@rolandgarros) September 7, 2020
The difference in prize money awarded to the winners of the singles tournaments and the first-round losers has been drastically reduced. This year, any player that loses in the first round will be awarded 30% more than last year, bringing their winnings to €60,000.#RolandGarros pic.twitter.com/B7bdJgjymO
— Roland-Garros (@rolandgarros) September 7, 2020
At the US Open on Monday, both Serena Williams and Maria Sakkari questioned how fans are allowed on the grounds of the French Open, yet the players have to be in a bubble. The players are supposed to be staying in one of two hotels in Paris for the players. Williams rented a house at the US open due to some pre-existing health conditions.
Serena Williams:
“I was hoping to stay at my apartment in Paris, but, you know, I’m just taking it a day at a time. I feel the French, they are doing the best that they can. You know, it’s hard. Every organization, every country is trying to do the best that they can in this pandemic, so I can’t point fingers and tell them what to do, because I’m not running the tournament.”
“Well, if there are fans, then we should be able to stay elsewhere, then. Yeah, that’s interesting, because there is no private housing but there’s fans.
“But I kind of knew that. It’s just for me I’m super conservative because I do have some serious health issues, so I try to stay away from public places, because I have been in a really bad position in the hospital a few times.
“So I don’t want to end up in that position again, so I don’t know. I’ll just do my best to continue to keep — for me, I try to keep a 12-foot distance instead of 6.”
“I’m honestly taking it one day at a time. I’m going to have to make the best decision for my health.
“You know, obviously maybe it will be good for me to talk to the organizers just to see how that works with the crowd and how we will be protected.
“So I think, you know, they have to make the best decision for them, and I have to do what’s best for me. But I think it should be okay. I mean, I have heard a lot from 50% crowd to, you know — so I don’t know what the number will be and how close they will be. I think there is a lot of factors that hopefully — hopefully they are thinking about, and I’m sure that they are, as this is a global pandemic.
“Yeah, it’s just — I still have some questions, but I’m really kind of, ironically, focused on New York but it’s kind of hard because, you know, these Grand Slams are so close to each other this year.”
