The Roland-Garros tournament, postponed from September 27 to October 11 due to the Covid-19 epidemic, will finally welcome a maximum of 5,000 spectators per day, instead of the 11,500 announced just ten days ago by the organizers, announced Thursday, September 17, the Paris police headquarters.
At the beginning of July, Roland-Garros surprised by announcing its ambition to welcome up to around 20,000 spectators per day, i.e. “From 50 to 60% of its usual tonnage”. Then, faced with the deterioration of the health situation in France and to comply with the government rule of a maximum capacity of 5,000 people in the red zone, the Parisian Grand Slam had to revise its ambitions downward for the first time. at ten days.
The French Tennis Federation (FFT), which organizes the tournament, then presented an intermediate option which was based on the division into three sectors “Independent and autonomous” of its stadium around its three main courts, Philippe-Chatrier (5,000 spectators), Suzanne-Lenglen (5,000) and Simonne-Mathieu (1,500).
Caught up in reality
But, ten days before its kick-off and only four from the start of qualifying, Roland-Garros has once again been caught up by the reality of the Covid-19 and will therefore only be able to accommodate a maximum of 5,000 daily spectators. In total, in fifteen days of competition, only 75,000 spectators will be able to attend the tournament. Very far from the nearly 520,000 welcomed in 2019 throughout the Parisian fortnight.
The French Tennis Federation (FFT) immediately declined to comment. Initially scheduled at the end of May-beginning of June, Roland-Garros had been postponed to the fall to everyone’s surprise, under the impetus of its organizers, from mid-March.
