Share

Russian young gun backs decision to reschedule French Open

Andrey Rublev has welcomed the decision to postpone the French Open to later in the year rather than cancel it, as it will still give players a chance to earn prize money.

The tennis season has been thrown into disarray due the coronavirus pandemic with the ATP and WTA Tours announcing there will be no tournaments taking place until 7 June.

The French Open was initially set to take place from 25 May to 7 June, but organisers of the clay-court Grand Slam announced early last week that the tournament had been rescheduled for 20 September.

The move was met with confusion and outrage with the US Open insisting that they should not have jumped the gun.

World No 14 Rublev, though, backed the rescheduling of the red dirt major.

“The announcement came as a shock, but I think it is better to play Roland Garros later in the year than not to play it at all,” he told Russia’s Match TV.

“Unlike team sports, tennis players don’t have a monthly salary and we only earn prize money based on our results at tournaments. If we don’t play, we don’t earn anything.

“I believe this is good news as Roland Garros offers big prize money for many players.”

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
Should Siya Kolisi keep the captaincy as the Springboks build towards their World Cup title defence in 2027?
Please select an option Oops! Something went wrong, please try again later.
Results
Yes! Siya will only be 36 at the next World Cup. He can make it!
26% - 1273 votes
No! I think the smart thing to do is start again with a younger skipper ...
29% - 1470 votes
I'd keep Siya captain for now, but look to have someone else for 2027.
45% - 2245 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