French Open Sets Sept. 21-Oct 11 Date, Follows U.S. Open

Jill Goldsmith
·2 min read

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The French Tennis Federation announced Wednesday that this year’s French Open (Roland-Garros tournament) will be played over three weeks from Sept 21-Oct. 11 providing that conditions related to the COVID-19 health crisis permit.

The Parisian Grand Slam was granted an extra week of competition, which means the qualifying tournament can be played from September 21-25, followed by the main draw starting Sept. 27.

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The news came as sports slowly reopens and a day after Governor Andrew Cuomo said the U.S. Open will be held in Queens, but without fans, from August 31 to September 13,, taking precautions to protect players and staff including testing, additional cleaning, extra locker room space and dedicated housing and transportation.

The FFT said it’s working with the French government to prepare and set out suitable measures that will ensure the health and safety of all people present. “All options will be considered and are susceptible to change,” it said. It didn’t specify if fans would be allowed.

“We are delighted that our discussions with the various international tennis authorities have allowed us to extend the 2020 edition of the Roland-Garros tournament to three weeks. In the current, difficult climate, we are well aware that it is a privilege to be able to hold Roland-Garros in its usual format. Especially since the qualifying tournament will help to financially support a category of professional players who have been severely affected by this unprecedented crisis. The responsible decision we made on 17th March to postpone the Roland-Garros tournament – the climax of the clay season – until the autumn means that the 2020 clay season can be saved, providing the current situation continues to improve. The Roland-Garros tournament is thus fulfilling its historic role as the clay-court world championships,” said FFT President Bernard Giudicelli.

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