PARIS – Up to 60% of the usual capacity will be allowed inside the grounds of Roland Garros for the 2020 edition of the French Open amid the COVID-19 crisis, the organizers said Thursday.
French federation president Bernard Giudicelli said in a press conference that in the main courts, a maximum of four people can sit together with an empty seat between the groups.
On the other fields, one in two places will be empty when the main tournament starts on September 27th.
Giudicelli explained that this means that around 20,000 spectators are expected during the first two weeks of the Grand Slam, and around 10,000 on the day of the final.
These numbers could change if the French government revised its social removal rules.
“We opted for the responsible option,” said Giudicelli, who added that wearing a protective mask would be mandatory for people on the move within the park, while it would only be recommended for people sitting on the sidelines.
“If the situation changes in the right direction, new tickets would be available in September,” added Giudicelli.
In the event that more stringent measures are imposed, a draw will be held to decide which tickets will be canceled.
The FFT added that the COVD-19 protocols for players and staff were still under development.
The French Open has been postponed since its usual dates of May-June to September due to the COVID-19 pandemic, which has infected nearly 11 million people and caused over half a million victims globally.
The US Open will be held in New York without spectators from August 31 to September 13.
(Reporting by Julien Pretot; Editing by Elaine Hardcastle and Pritha Sarkar)
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