The decision to postpone Roland Garros for the second year in a row has saved the French Tennis Federation "tens of millions of euros," according to its president.
The 2021 edition of the clay court Grand Slam begins on Sunday in Paris, exactly seven months after the completion of the 2020 tournament, which was shifted from May/June to September/October due to scheduling conflicts.
“Having to postpone for a week is really a winning choice, a beautiful tens of millions of euros saved.”
Until June 8, a total of slightly over 5,000 spectators will be admitted to the Roland Garros grounds. Due to the government's decision to elevate fan numbers to a 65 percent restriction of actual capacity, that number will rise to more than 13,000 a day later.
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“Had the tournament ended on June 6 (the original finishing date) and the following Wednesday the limits were raised, that would have been awful,” said Oudaa-Castera.
The greatest setback for organisers this year is that nine of their ten evening sessions will be held behind closed doors, which is a new feature for 2021.A government curfew of 9pm will not be lifted until June 9.
The FFT, on the other hand, insists that they were aware of the harmful consequences of last year's unilateral decision to postpone the French Open by four months.
“In general, last year's choice was good, but it resulted in a debt to the international community,” the FFT president stated.
However, not everyone is happy with the decision.
