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Can Roland Garros truly be played with fans in 2020?

By Brandon Daniels

PARIS, FRANCE - APRIL 23: A view Roland Garros logo as the Stadium is closed due to the Coronavirus (COVID-19) lockdown on April 23, 2020 in Paris, France. The tournament which was supposed to start late May has been postponed to late September. The Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has spread to many countries across the world, claiming over 184,000 lives and infecting over 2.6 million people. (Photo by Aurelien Meunier/Getty Images)
PARIS, FRANCE - APRIL 23: A view Roland Garros logo as the Stadium is closed due to the Coronavirus (COVID-19) lockdown on April 23, 2020 in Paris, France. The tournament which was supposed to start late May has been postponed to late September. The Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has spread to many countries across the world, claiming over 184,000 lives and infecting over 2.6 million people. (Photo by Aurelien Meunier/Getty Images) /
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Roland Garros 2020 is still scheduled to be held with fans despite the growing number of COVID-19 cases. Is this truly the best idea for the health and safety of those involved?

Roland Garros is set to jump into action on September 27th. Despite the outcry from players regarding the schedule change and the concerns about the jam-packed schedule, the ATP’s lone Grand Slam on clay will go on as planned.

It’s increasingly obvious that playing a major tournament, especially with fans, will not come without risks. After dropping to just 81 new COVID-19 cases on June 24, France has been the victim of a major increase since then. The number of new cases exploded to over 10,000 yesterday, which sparked serious concerns over the health and safety of all competing players.

The French Open has announced that only 5,000 spectators (as ordered by the state government as the maximum outside group number) will be allowed on the grounds per day total, instead of its previous push for 20,000. Seating will also be allowed only on Court Phillippe Chatrier (Center Court) in order to maintain control and lower the risk of spread in smaller spaces.

It’s certainly a risky move to hold the tournament with any fans at all. Take last month’s hard-court swing in New York, for example. A bubble was put in place for players to ensure their safety and it worked without any issues. Yes, it wasn’t the greatest thing in the world for mental health and without a doubt put players in a situation they’ve never been in before. However, the overarching situation that needs to be dealt with in order for play to go on is to limit exposure to COVID-19.

Not a single player or staff member tested positive in the bubble and, while the lack of fans uring the two tournaments seemed odd at points, the events still gave fans top-tier tennis. Roland Garros continuing on with fans in attendance despite an uptick in positive cases. It seems as though the upcoming event has absolutely zero plans in place if a positive test occurs on-site. There hasn’t been any information if that happens and it’s possible that no concrete statement will be made on the matter.

This calls into question: Should Roland Garros risk being played with fans? The answer, clearly, is no. While 5,000 fans aren’t necessarily a huge amount, the risk of a spread is still a large enough problem for fans to be an issue, especially given the rise in cases.

The World Health Organization has described the growing number of cases in Europe as “a serious situation“. In September, France has totaled the second-highest number of positive cases per 100,000 people; their 159 ranks second to only Spain with 279. The surge has been attributed to the growing number of administered tests as of recently.

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So, how many COVID-19 cases really are there in France? As of now, it is what it is but it could very well be a much higher number. It’s an uncertainty that cannot be toyed with, especially in the case of high-profile athletes that need their respiratory systems at full health in order to compete at the highest level. Any fans at all will jeopardize the tournament’s well being, and with that, the players as well.

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