Australian world tennis number one Ashleigh Barty announced Tuesday, September 8 that she was giving up playing the Roland Garros tournament, which she won last year, due to the coronavirus pandemic. “Last year’s French Open was the most special tournament of my career, and it wasn’t a decision I took lightly”, justified on social networks the 24-year-old player, who has already given up on the US Open this year.
“There are two reasons for my decision: the first is the health risks that still exist because of the Covid. The second is my preparation, which was not ideal when my coach was unable to train with me because of the border closures in Australia ”, she added. Barty is based in Brisbane while her trainer, Craig Tyzzer, lives in Melbourne, confined for two months following a resurgence of the coronavirus epidemic. Travel between the two cities is therefore not authorized.
For her part, Serena Williams leaves doubt on her participation. The American deplores the confinement of the players. “I was hoping to stay in my apartment in Paris”, regretted the American Serena Williams who expressed concerns about the presence of the public. “I will make the best decision for my health,” she said. I will have to speak with the organizers to find out how it works with the public and how we will be protected. But I think it will be fine ”.
11,500 spectators, a lesser evil
On Monday, Bernard Giudicelli, the president of the French Tennis Federation (FFT), announced that the Roland-Garros tournament, postponed from late spring to early autumn due to the Covid-19 epidemic, would host for the public, from September 27 to October 11. “This will be the first tournament to have the privilege of welcoming the public”, he congratulated himself.
Before the summer, the organizers of Roland-Garros had repeated that there was no question for them of a closed-door tournament. But where, until a few weeks ago, their idea was to be able to accommodate 20,000 people per day (i.e. between 50% and 60% of the attendance usually allowed in the enclosure located at Porte d’Auteuil), the capacity of The maximum daily reception was lowered to 11,500 spectators.
“The decision that we worked on was to divide the space into three independent sub-spaces, independent from the point of view of welcoming the public.
For each of these distinct spaces (…), the public will enter and exit through doors ” specific, explained Jean-François Vilotte, general manager of the FFT. Given this organization, the Philippe-Chatrier court will be able to accommodate 5,000 people per day, the Suzanne-Lenglen court 5,000 also and the Simonne-Mathieu court 1,500 people.
Players tested “upon arrival”
“The accredited population will be subject to a very rigorous health protocol, to regular PCR tests, so that there is no risk of contamination”, added Mr. Vilotte. The spectators, they will not be subjected to a temperature measurement, the method having been judged “Too haphazard and inefficient”.
Players will be tested “Upon their arrival and will receive their accreditation as soon as the first negative test is returned. A second test will be carried out within seventy-two hours, then another at D + 5, and another at D + 5 as long as they are in the tournament “, said Guy Forget, the tournament director.
In an interview with The team, published Monday, Bernard Giudicelli explained the difference between Roland-Garros and an event in a ” football stadium “, where the maximum capacity is currently set at 5,000 spectators: “We are spread over 12 hectares. “
As for the players, they will be accommodated in two hotels chosen by the organization. “We will not tolerate that players, whatever their level, have a derogatory status. Everyone will be aligned. “
