PARIS -- Spectators will be allowed at the French Open this month despite the growing number of coronavirus cases in the country, organizers said on Monday.
They unveiled the health protocols for the clay-court grand slam, which will take place at Roland Garros in western Paris from Sept. 27 after being postponed from its May start due to the pandemic.
“Since the international circuit restarted, Roland Garros will be the first tournament with the privilege of hosting an audience," French Tennis Federation president Bernard Giudicelli said.
Serena Williams and Maria Sakkari, after their spectator-free U.S. Open match on Monday, questioned how the French can open the doors to fans but the players have to be in a bubble. The French are restricting the players to two hotels.
“If there are fans, then we should be able to stay elsewhere, then,” Williams said. “Yeah, that’s interesting, because there is no private housing but there's fans.”
Williams was OK with fans in attendance, but wanted to know more from French Open organizers about “how we will be protected.”
Sakkari agreed.
“To have fans and have us in a bubble? For me, it doesn’t really make sense,” Sakkari said. "For me, it was a shocking announcement to have fans.”
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