THE tennis season is currently on hold as the world responds to the coronavirus pandemic.
Wimbledon has been cancelled as a result – although French Open officials have taken the controversial decision to hold the Paris-based Slam later in the year.
When is the 2020 French Open rescheduled for?
THIS year’s French Open was originally slated for May 24 to June 7.
Rafael Nadal is looking to win yet another clay crown at Roland Garros, while women’s singles champion from 2019 Ashleigh Barty is aiming to lift just her second Slam title.
But following the unprecedented Covid-19 outbreak, tennis chiefs in France have acted to come up with new dates for the annual competition.
The tournament will now start on September 20, running through to the single’s finals on October 4.
But the new dates have proved controversial, with the French Open now the final Slam of the year and clashing with other events on the calendar.
It will now be held just a WEEK after the US Open in Flushing Meadows is due to finish in New York, creating a logistical nightmare for players, officials and TV companies.
And it also clashes with the Laver Cup, the team tournament which is championed by Nadal and fan-favourite Roger Federer.
Even so, these new dates are still not set in stone amid an ever-changing global landscape and could be changed at a later date.
Young Canadian star Vasek Pospisil tweeted his dismay at the decision, saying: “This is madness: major announcement by Roland Garros changing the dates to one week after the US Open.
“No communication with the players or the ATP. We have ZERO say in this sport. It’s time.”
But Bernard Giudicelli, President of the FFT, said: “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.”
No tennis major had been cancelled since the outbreak of the Second World War, but officials took the difficult decision to shut Wimbledon’s doors on April 1.
