Paris (AFP)

The sanitary conditions for Roland-Garros extend to the two hotels where the players must stay during the fortnight, with a strict sanitary protocol and respected as best they can.

To avoid any scandal following the controversies born during the US Open - Benoît Paire, excluded following a positive test for Covid-19, had spoken of a "false bubble" -, the French Tennis Federation (FFT) made the choice to confine all Roland-Garros participants in two hotels near Porte d'Auteuil.

No privilege was awarded, even to Serena Williams, yet owner of an apartment in the French capital and 23 Grand Slam trophies.

"I have serious health problems that make me try to stay away from public places, I found myself several times in the hospital in serious conditions", she explained during the US Open, adding: "I will make the best decision for my health. I will have to speak with the organizers to find out how it works with the public and how we will be protected."

The two establishments chosen are not entirely reserved for Roland-Garros: it is not uncommon for the players to mingle with hotel guests, ordinary tourists, in the lobby of the building or in one of the elevators. , whose attendance is however, in theory, limited to two people - a measure rarely followed, noted an AFP journalist.

- "The bubble is impossible" -

"Our objective was not to create a bubble because the bubble is impossible," assures AFP Bernard Montalvan, responsible for the health protocol at Roland Garros.

A choice variously appreciated by the players: while the American giant John Isner "feels very safe", the Briton Dan Evans "would prefer that the hotel does not welcome anyone from outside (at the tournament). nervous to see the public in the hotel (...) If we are forbidden to leave (the establishment), then we should not see the public there, that's my opinion ", he said at a conference. Sunday press.

Rare place reserved for tournament participants, the "players' lounge" located on the 9th floor allows athletes to enjoy a moment of saving relaxation, for those who have already spent several weeks confined to New York for the Masters 1000 in Cincinnati (exceptionally relocated to Flushing Meadows) and the US Open.

Early Saturday evening, on the eve of the launch of the third and final Grand Slam tournament of the year, the loud laughter and discussion reaching into the hall seemed to attest to the popularity of the place.

- Waltz of vehicles -

Players are only allowed to leave the hotel for three reasons: a match, training or a medical reason.

And they have to book a tournament shuttle for this, which entails a continuous waltz of vehicles stamped with the Roland-Garros logo in front of the hotel, whose management declined to comment.

Likewise, many opt for on-site meal delivery.

The delivery men from the various specialized platforms follow one another in the hall, while the hotel restaurant remains mainly occupied by the few tourists present in Paris at the start of autumn.

To complete this device, many security guards in the lobby ensure that everyone wears a mask and that barrier gestures are respected ... as well as that no overly enthusiastic fan jumps on one. stars housed in the establishment.

As calm reigns most of the time, the work of the agents is essentially limited to guiding disoriented customers to the reception, the restaurant or the elevators.

It must be said that the participants in Roland-Garros have nothing to gain by playing with the rules.

With two tests within 48 hours of their arrival in Paris and then a new one every four to five days depending on the match schedule, any excess can quickly become prohibitive.

© 2020 AFP