French Open are gearing up for night sessions - worries due to rising corona numbers
The French Open are in the final preparations for the Grand Slam tournament, which will start in a month - whether the event can go ahead as planned, however, in view of the rising Corona numbers in Paris.
by Nikolaus Fink
last edit: Aug 27, 2020, 10:07 am
While most of the tennis circus is currently in New York, the organizers of the French Open are already preparing to host their event. Exactly in one month, on September 27th, the starting shot for the classic clay court should be given four months later - for the first time in the history of the tournament, it could also be played in pouring rain.
After all, the Court Philippe Chatrier - at 15,059 the largest square in the complex - has a roof for the first time this year . But that's not all: From this year on, it will be possible to play at night in Paris at least on Center Court. On Tuesday, the organizers carried out a floodlight test - and the pictures are quite impressive.
In contrast to New York, people in the French capital try to play in front of spectators. The plan was to allow up to 20,000 people per day on the system - but whether this can actually be implemented seems questionable. No more than 5,000 people are allowed to gather in one place until October 30th. However, Prime Minister Jean Castex said on Wednesday that there would be no more exceptions in the future.
In any case, the Grand Slam tournament does not seem to be secure, even if the stands are empty. In the greater Paris area, more than 50 new cases per 100,000 inhabitants have been detected in the past seven days, and the increase in new infections in France has been constant at over 3,000 cases for a week. Therefore, the German government recently issued a travel warning for parts of France - including Paris. The Belgian government even went one step further: Belgians are prohibited from entering the French capital until further notice.
In view of these circumstances, the event in Paris seems to be shaky - with or without spectators.