Tennis, anyone?
Not on this
sunny Sunday at French
Open
Associated Press / 10:57 AM May 25, 2020
(FILES) In this file photo taken on June 8, 2018 Spectators watch Spain’s
Rafael Nadal (TOP) as he plays Argentina’s Juan Martin del Potro during
their men’s singles semi-final match on day thirteen of The Roland Garros
2018 French Open tennis tournament in Paris. – Roland-Garros, was
postponed from the spring 2020 to the autumn 2020 due to the novel
coronavirus pandemic. Because the COVID-19 is a source of “uncertainty
for all events bringing together audiences all over the world”, the the
Federation French tennis (FFT) announced on May 7, 2020 that “all tickets
already purchased” for the French Open tennis tournament will be
refund. (Photo by CHRISTOPHE SIMON / AFP)
PARIS — Tennis, anyone?
Not Sunday at the French Open. Nobody was there. Maybe they will be in
September.
It should have been the first day of the clay-court Grand Slam
tournament held annually at Roland Garros — with thousands flocking to
catch a glimpse of Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic or Serena Williams.
Instead, the grounds in leafy western Paris were deserted on a sunny,
blue-sky day because of the coronavirus pandemic.
“Every year it’s Roland Garros time, it’s a bit like tennis fever. I was
looking forward to seeing quality tennis and having a day out again.
There’s a certain mood, an atmosphere,” said 34-year-old Hector
Snowman, who attended the tournament in 2019. “You see stars walking
around there, it feels like a privilege to be there. Everyone’s expecting a
French player to do well and they have their favorites like (Roger)
Federer.”
Court Philippe Chatrier, where 15,000 fans cheered Nadal’s record-
extending 12th title last June, wouldn’t have needed the new roof that
was supposed to debut in case of rain this year.
Viewed from outside, peering through one of the site’s imposing iron
gates, the towering roof looked grandiose with its 11 large sections, each
110 meters (360 feet) long and weighing 330 tons (660,000 pounds).
Also visible: construction equipment left behind when France went into
lockdown on March 17 littering the inside of Roland Garros.
In early February, the French Tennis Federation proudly released a video
to announce the roof was ready. A few weeks later, people were
sheltering in place as the nation went into confinement. Soccer, rugby
and tennis events all got called off.
If the French Open does start as hoped on Sept. 20, it might have to be
played with no spectators present on the 17 courts for health and safety
reasons. The maze-like grounds of Roland Garros are narrow, crammed,
stuffy and sinewy, making social distancing impossible.
That would mean 10,000 fans missing out on watching Djokovic or Nadal
on Court Suzanne Lenglen in the early rounds, and it would dash the
FFT’s hopes of beating the record 520,000 fans who came to watch last
year.
Normally thousands of people would be pressed together on the
surrounding streets, preparing to go through security as they walked
toward the entrances down Avenue de la Porte d’Auteuil or Avenue
Gordon Bennett. As folks waited in line to get checked, the chatter might
have been something along these lines:
— Can Nadal win a 13th championship in Paris to raise his total of major
trophies to 20 and equal Federer’s record for men?
— Will Williams win a 24th Grand Slam title to equal Margaret Court?
— Will Djokovic claim an 18th major title to close in on Nadal and
Federer?
— Can Ash Barty repeat her 2019 French Open triumph, which earned
her her first major championship?
— Could Dominic Thiem, a runner-up to Nadal the past two years, finally
win his first major?
