Sports Desk
PARIS: The French Open starts on Sunday with an ever-shrinking number of spectators allowed at Roland Garros, the players facing tight restrictions and bad weather threatening to wreak havoc during the fortnight.
Organisers were hoping to welcome up to 20,000 fans a day into the grounds but that number was reduced to 11,500, then 5,000 and eventually 1,000 as the French government intervened amid a resurgence of COVID-19 cases in the country.
At the recent U.S. Open, players and guests had to pass two COVID-19 nasal swab tests 48 hours apart after their arrival in New York, and the tournament did not allow any fans on site.
In Paris, players will also face tough restrictions with organisers crossing fingers that the two-week Grand Slam tournament can be completed just as the number of daily coronavirus cases in France reached a new high of 16,096 on Thursday.
All participants will be parked in two different hotels with no possibility of renting private accommodation. They will only be allowed out in order to play their matches at Roland Garros or for practice sessions at the neighbouring Jean Bouin stadium.
Players and their guests need to provide a negative COVID-19 test to enter the draw, a rule which has already prevented six players from competing in the qualifiers.
Bosnian Damir Dzumhur said he would take legal action against the French tennis federation after being barred from the tournament following his coach’s positive test.
