2020 FRENCH OPEN PREVIEW
The French Open has a new home on the calendar this year, moving from its typical start time in May to the end of September, with the 2020 event set to run from September 21-October 11. Much like the U.S. Open, the French Open will have a different feel to it this year, but as the pro circuits shift from hard-courts to clay, let’s take a look at some things to watch out for when the pros descend on Roland Garros in Paris, France. Fans in the Stands French Open officials have indicated that it will allow up to 60 percent capacity in the crowd for this year’s tournament. “The number of spectators allowed in the stadium will be 50%-60% of the usual capacity,” the FFT (French Tennis Federation) said. “This reduction will allow strict distancing measures to be respected.” Wearing masks will be recommended when fans are lined up to enter the grounds or when they are sitting in the stands, but must be worn when moving around. This is a strong change from the way the U.S. Open approached its “bubble”, with no spectators and very limited media, so it will be interesting to see how strictly the French Open officials enforce this mask policy and if everyone involved can remain safe. Transition from Hard Courts to Clay While many of Europe’s biggest stars opted to not travel to New York for the U.S. Open, for those that did, moving from the hardcourts of the United States to the clay courts of Paris could prove a difficult transition. There will be tune-up tournaments in Austria, Italy and Germany prior to the start of the French Open, but quickly adapting your game between surfaces is not as easy as it sounds, and therefore those players who decided to remain 34
in Europe could be at an advantage in terms of their preparation and readiness for the world’s premier clay court event. Andy Murray Back Competing at Grand Slams Tennis fans were delighted to welcome Andy Murray back to the tour this summer, after the Briton nearly retired due to injuries, and has not been himself over the last couple of years. Murray did travel to New York and competed in the U.S. Open, his first Grand Slam singles event since the 2019 Australian Open. Murray came back from two sets down to win his opening round match in Queens, but fell to young Canadian star Felix Auger Aliassime in the second round. Nonetheless, the fact that Murray was able to compete in a fiveset match is a good sign for the three-time Grand Slam singles champion, and he has committed to playing the French Open, although most likely won’t participate in the tournaments leading up to it in order to allow his body to recover.
New York Tennis Magazine • September/October 2020 • NYTennisMag.com
