Coronavirus Forces French Open Postponement to September

The 2020 tennis calendar continues to deal with cancelations caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

The ATP and the WTA recently extended the suspension until early May.

After further evaluating the situation, the ATP decided to cancel the entire European clay-court season.

Following the extended suspension, the Tour is now set to return during the first week of June, already into the grass-court season.

Stuttgart and Rosmalen, two ATP 250 tournaments, are scheduled to start on June 8.

The cancelations eventually affected the biggest tournament of the clay-court season, the French Open.

Much to the player’s surprise, the tournament’s organization decided to postpone the 2020 edition.

The French Open will now move from its usual late May slot to September.

French Open Moves to September, Set to Take Place After US Open

The French Open organizers have announced that the tournament will be played from September 20 to October 4.

This would make Roland Garros the last major of the 2020 season, right after the US Open.

Following the cancelation of the clay-court season, the ATP and the WTA have also decided to temporarily freeze their respective rankings.

Shortly after the news came through, it was met by some heavy criticism from players.

Players Critical of French Open Organizers, Threaten Boycott

The information was immediately met with negative responses coming from the players.

Most of the criticism was aimed at the French Tennis Federation’s one-sided decision to reschedule the competition without asking for insight from the players.

Another big issue is the clash created by the September date.

With the US Open ending on September 14, this would leave the player’s little time to prepare.

The sudden switch from the fast American courts to the slow French clay would also prove to be a significant challenge, made even more difficult by the timeframe.

Players also criticized the inevitable strain caused by back-to-back majors, with two 14-day events played in the space of just over one month.

An additional problem would be the clash with the Laver Cup.

The popular team competition organized by Roger Federer will be played from September 25 to September 27.

ATP Players Council member Vasek Pospisil was the first one to come forward and was soon joined by other athletes.

Some of the Tour’s top players, including Federer and 12-time French Open champion Rafael Nadal, have reportedly threatened to boycott the slam.

The situation will continue to unfold over the next few days, but, for now, it’s fair to say that the decision is far from being a popular one.

FAQ: What You Need to Know About the 2020 French Open Postponement