Tennis: new blow for Roland-Garros, limited to 1,000 spectators
Unlike previous years, here on the day of the final on June 8, 2018, it is impossible for the Roland Garros tournament to fill up with spectators for the 2020 edition. The gauge has been reduced to 1,000 spectators.
CHRISTOPHE SIMON / AFP
Text by: Eric Mamruth
5 mins
The Roland-Garros tournament is due to start this Sunday.
A 2020 edition shifted from May to the end of September, pandemic obliges.
The ongoing health crisis has other repercussions on the Parisian Grand Slam.
The first of them is the gauge of the public authorized to go to the Stade de la Porte d'Auteuil, further lowered this Thursday evening, September 24 by Prime Minister Jean Castex during his televised speech.
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In recent weeks, she has shrunk like sorrow.
Initially, the organizers wanted to accommodate 20,000 people per day.
Or 50 to 60% of the usual capacity.
But the gradual strengthening of the health measures decided by the government has forced them to revise their ambitions downwards.
We thus went to 11,500 then to 5,000, before Jean Castex announced this Thursday the obligation to reduce the tonnage to 1,000 people, as for all French sporting events.
A real blow for the tournament, according to the former player and current director of the challenger of Lyon, Lionel Roux
“
This announcement is obviously a huge blow for the tournament, for the organizers of the tournament, for the [French Tennis Federation], who have been working for months for the tournament to take place and then for all people who work too, for all partners.
And then, of course, I think a bit about the players who should have enjoyed themselves, even if the gauge had gone down a little bit, to be able to find the public with a little bit of atmosphere, a little bit of sharing.
But I think we have to face the facts.
This decision was made for very good reasons and I think we have to stick to it.
"
1000 spectators allowed maximum, therefore, in addition to the accredited people who work on the tournament daily.
In other words, almost a Roland Garros behind closed doors.
Little or no audience, no atmosphere during the matches
The residents should spend a quiet fortnight.
It is true that tennis has hardly made much noise since it was forced to stop in March due to the pandemic.
The circuit, stopped for five months, only resumed in August with almost only closed-door tournaments like the US Open in New York.
No more energized atmosphere, therefore, after a spectacular blow.
This is the price to pay so that tennis can continue to live and the players with, the least well classified and paid in the lead.
Confirmation with the French born in Mauritius, Enzo Couacaud.
He participated this week in the Roland-Garros qualifications
"
It is sure that it is weird,
explains Enzo Couacaud,
because we expect to have a little 'home support', to have a little efferverscence in Grand Slam, which we do not have.
But I think the most important thing today is to be able to play the tournament and the public, it's a bonus.
It has always had an impact in our sport, but I think the priority today is to play, and to play in good health.
It goes through that.
This is essential to the functioning of our sport, for now.
"
French players deprived of support, therefore, but also perhaps of public pressure which often paralyzes them on the Roland-Garros courts.
Strict health protocol to participate in the tournament
On the program of the celebrations: repeated PCR tests in addition to confinement in one of the two hotels imposed by the organization, with only travel to the stadium and the training center authorized.
In short, a restrictive health protocol and hard to live with for the players, even if the enthusiasm to play the Parisian Grand Slam wins at the finish.
Confirmation with the.
“To walk around always with a mask, to stay away from other players, especially those with whom we are close, this is not something we are used to, confirms Nîmes Benjamin Bonzi.
Afterwards, we all know that is the price to pay to make the tournament.
Here, we have to make a club hotel and a club hotel.
we wash our hands all the time, we wear the mask all the time, we have to be careful ... But it is sure that these are not the conditions we dream of to play the Grand Slams.
But when you enter the field, you can see that it matters.
"
For being positive or contact case, 6 players were banned from participating in qualifying this week.
New roof
All this eclipses the great novelty of this Roland-Garros 2020: the retractable roof that now covers the Central Philippe Chatrier court.
Roland-Garros was the last of the 4 Grand Slams not to be equipped with it.
His status was thereby weakened.
From now on this roof will make it possible to finish the parts started despite the rain and the darkness since the Central will be lit.
All the more precious in this often cool and humid autumn period.
In short, a really unusual tournament, likely to create suspense, confiscated almost every year since 2005 by a certain Rafael Nadal.
The Spaniard will aim this year for his 13th Porte d'Auteuil coronation.
First balls this Sunday, September 27 at Roland Garros.
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To read also: Tennis: the Covid-19 invites itself in the qualifications of Roland-Garros
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