Sign of a return to normal, the Panama hats were out on Sunday, June 13, in the aisles of Roland-Garros. An audience still sparse – although the gauge was increased during the tournament – pandemic due to the new coronavirus requires, come to attend a “normal” Grand Slam tournament final by XXI standardse century: won by one of the timeless Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer or Novak Djokovic.
Winner Friday of the Mallorcan with thirteen crowns Porte d’Auteuil, the Serbian did not miss the opportunity to lift his second Musketeers Cup on Sunday, concluding the 2021 edition of the Paris tournament by disposing of the young Greek Stefanos Tsitsipas at the end of ‘a close match.
For the rest, if the 2021 vintage of Roland-Garros has bottled one of the biggest games ever played on clay – the semi-final between Djokovic and Nadal – it will remain marked by the consequences of the pandemic.
“We are the only Grand Slam to have been impacted twice by the Covid-19”, recalled, Sunday, Amélie Oudéa-Castera, general manager of the French Tennis Federation (FFT) during a press conference of balance sheet. “But, given the circumstances, the numbers for this edition are pretty good. We were able to accommodate 100,000 spectators, with 80% general public tickets. “
“Both satisfied but frustrated”
When it comes time to take stock, it is difficult to disregard the particular conditions encountered by the organizers. “Given the conditions, we had two objectives this year: the safety of our public and allow players to play in front of spectators. I believe that we have succeeded “, welcomed Gilles Moretton, the new president of the FFT.
Over the duration of the tournament, only two doubles players tested positive for Covid-19, and excluded from the table. Overall, the strict sanitary regulations allowed the tournament to run smoothly.
“We can say that this year has both satisfied and frustrated us, continued Gilles Moretton. We want to see 38,000 people in the aisles. We want to see this stadium full. We want to see the “night sessions”, with the atmosphere we could sense on Wednesday and Friday evening. “
Nightly sessions were new to this edition – as was their streaming on Amazon Prime Video. The premieres took place behind closed doors. They then gathered a little public, but with spectators evacuated during the meeting due to the curfew (during the Djokovic-Berrettini quarterfinal). They ended with an exceptional derogation – and in extremis – during the semi-final Nadal-Djokovic.
The federation wanted to highlight the goodwill of the players in “Come and play on the Chatrier in front of empty seats”, as turned the tournament director, Guy Forget. Not all of them, however, held back their blows. “Roland-Garros preferred Amazon to the public. It’s that simple “, launched the Russian Daniil Medvedev after his elimination in the quarterfinals by Tsitsipas. A controversy which should diminish with the disappearance of the curfew in the next edition.
The shipwreck of the French
If the digital giant remains secret about its audiences – and assumes it -, the FFT evokes “A very good start” broadcast on Prime, welcoming “That this success did not prevent France Télévisions from having audience records during this tournament”, said Amélie Oudéa-Castera.
On the court, on the other hand, France has “Hit the bottom of the pool”, as illustrated by the president of the FFT, Gilles Moretton, the day after the elimination of the last representative of France still in the running. Men and women alike, no Blue has crossed the second round of Roland Garros, a first since the start of the Open era. Between a generation on the decline and a pale succession, the tricolor yellow ball has drunk the cup, as it expected.
A corner of blue sky came to soften the French record at the end of the tournament, with the raid of the blue kids on the junior tournament (victory of Luca Van Assche, 17, the four semi-finalists being French), and the new coronation in double of the pair Nicolas Mahut – Pierre-Hugues Herbert. “We had a difficult first week but we knew we were going through a change of generations. We finished in style with the brilliant result of the juniors and this double victory for Mahut-Herbert », insisted Gilles Moretton.
Still, on the main draw, French tennis fears a warning of heavy weather, while waiting for the relief. The Blues will be able to try to take shelter under the future roof of the Suzanne-Lenglen court, whose work will begin as soon as possible, in order to be completed next year. By then, retractable roof or not, Panama hats or not, the public may be back without restriction.
