By Chris Oddo | @TheFanChild | Tuesday March 17, 2020
Roland Garros announced that it will push its 2020 staging back to the end of September, just one week after the scheduled conclusion of the US Open.
Photo Source: Tennis Now
Roland Garros has a new date.
The tournament announced that it would be holding the 2020 French Open from 20 September to 4 October.
“The whole world is affected by the public health crisis connected with COVID-19. In order to ensure the health and safety of everyone involved in organising the tournament, the French Tennis Federation has made the decision to hold the 2020 edition of Roland-Garros from 20th September to 4th October 2020,” the tournament said in a statement.
“Though nobody is able to predict what the situation will be on 18th May, the current confinement measures have made it impossible for us to continue with our preparations and, as a result, we are unable to hold the tournament on the dates originally planned.”
“We have made a difficult yet brave decision in this UNPRECEDENTED situation, which has evolved greatly since last weekend. We are acting responsibly, and must work together in the fight to ensure everybody’s health and safety,” explained Bernard Giudicelli, President of the FFT.
The decision was met with shock by some of the players. Vasek Pospisil, ATP Player Council member, took to Twitter to voice his displeasure.
“This is madness,” he tweeted. “Major announcement by Roland Garros changing the dates to one week after the US Open. No communication with the players or the ATP.. we have ZERO say in this sport.”
The date change raises questions about the rest of the tennis calendar. On Tuesday Wimbledon released a statement saying that it was monitoring the situation but is still planning on holding the Championships in the same time slot.
“At this time, we continue to plan for The Championships and the grass court season, and we intend to maintain the Estate with a limited team onsite, with the rest of our business operations taking place through remote working,” the tournament said in a statement.
Richard Lewis CBE, Chief Executive of the AELTC, added: “At the heart of our decision-making is our commitment to the health and safety of our Members, staff, and the public, and we are grateful to the government and public health authorities for their advice and support. While we continue to plan for The Championships at this time, it remains a continuously evolving situation and we will act responsibly, in the best interests of wider society."