Share

Roland Garros working to avoid US Open clash

Guy Forget, the Roland Garros tournament director, says they are doing all they can to make sure this year's French Open does not clash with the US Open.

The 2020 French Open was initially due to start on May 24, but the coronavirus pandemic forced organisers to move the tournament to September 20-October 4.

It means the clay-court Grand Slam is due to start just one week after the US Open final at Flushing Meadows and, to complicate things even further, the United States Tennis Association (USTA) is yet to confirm if the US Open will go ahead due to Covid-19.

New York has been the epicentre of the pandemic in the United States and USTA officials will only confirm in mid-June whether or not the tournament will go ahead as planned.

Forget says they are waiting on the USTA announcement.

"The official announcement has not been made yet. It (the French Open) will probably be between the end of September and the beginning of October," he told French radio Europe 1.

"We've been working closely with the ATP, the WTA and the ITF to make a global announcement on what the circuit will be like until the end of the year.

"There are so many question marks. The city of New York is more affected by the coronavirus than France. They also have a lot of organisation problems, they will make an announcement mid-June to say how it's going to be like for the US Open."

Although France has banned gatherings of more than 5,000 people up until August, Forget says they are hopeful they will have a tournament with spectators.

"We'll see how the situation is in a couple of months. We will adapt to what the government will say. We have to be ambitious and optimistic," he said.

- TEAMtalk media

We live in a world where facts and fiction get blurred
Who we choose to trust can have a profound impact on our lives. Join thousands of devoted South Africans who look to News24 to bring them news they can trust every day. As we celebrate 25 years, become a News24 subscriber as we strive to keep you informed, inspired and empowered.
Join News24 today
heading
description
username
Show Comments ()
Voting Booth
How much would you be prepared to pay for a ticket to watch the Springboks play against the All Blacks at Ellis Park or Cape Town Stadium this year?
Please select an option Oops! Something went wrong, please try again later.
Results
R0 - R200
32% - 1842 votes
R200 - R500
32% - 1809 votes
R500 - R800
19% - 1100 votes
R800 - R1500
8% - 468 votes
R1500 - R2500
3% - 193 votes
I'd pay anything! It's the Boks v All Blacks!
5% - 261 votes
Vote
Editorial feedback and complaints

Contact the public editor with feedback for our journalists, complaints, queries or suggestions about articles on News24.

LEARN MORE