
The French Open 2020, which was scheduled to be held from May 24 to June 7, has been postponed due to the coronavirus pandemic and will now take place from September 20 to October 4. The organisers of the French Open 2019 said that given the current confinement measures, it is impossible to hold the Grand Slam event as per the original schedule while adding that they have decided to postpone the tournament to ensure the health and safety of everyone involved in organising the tournament.
The new dates of the Rolland-Garros, i.e, September 20 to October 4, means the event will kickstart just a week after the US Open. However, it is highly likely that the US Open 2020 will also get postponed given the current situation surrounding the novel coronavirus.
"The whole world is affected by the public health crisis connected with COVID-19. In order to ensure the health and safety of everyone involved in organising the tournament, the French Tennis Federation has made the decision to hold the 2020 edition of Roland-Garros from 20th September to 4th October 2020," read a statement.
"In order to act responsibly and protect the health of its employees, service providers, and suppliers during the organisation period, the FFT has chosen the only option that will allow them to maintain the 2020 edition of the tournament while joining the fight against COVID-19."
While the World Health Organisation (WHO) has already declared Europe as the epicenter of the COVID-19, European countries on Tuesday moved into an almost total lockdown in a bid to put a break to the spread of the deadly virus.
"We have made a difficult yet brave decision in this unprecedented situation, which has evolved greatly since last weekend. We are acting responsibly, and must work together in the fight to ensure everybody's health and safety," FFT president Bernard Giudicelli said.
The biggest issue for Roland-Garros will be the availability of star players. The French Open 2020 will collide with a number of tournaments including the Laver Cup where Roger Federer has already committed his presence.