French Open Shifted by a Week Amidst COVID-19 Surge
Originally slated for May 17 to June 6, the 2021 French Open was pushed back by a week due to escalating COVID-19 cases in France.
Following a surge in coronavirus cases, France announced a new lockdown and a series of stricter national restrictions. The number of COVID-19 patients in French ICUs reached an alarming 5,729 on March 31, according to the health ministry, marking a new record. This figure was last seen during the height of the pandemic on April 19, 2020.
In his address on March 31, French President Emmanuel Macron expressed hope for a resumption of cultural and sports activities beginning mid-May, provided that the health situation improves.
In a statement, the French Tennis Federation (FFT) acknowledged that postponing the tournament for a week could provide additional time for the health situation to improve and increase chances of spectator attendance at the refurbished stadium.
"Given these circumstances, it seems to be the best solution," stated the FFT.
Qualifying rounds commenced on May 24, followed by the main draw from May 30 to June 13.
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The French Open 2021's postponement prompted adjustments for top tennis players, including Elina Svitolina and Gael Monfils. Despite the setback, the two players remained hopeful about their prospects at the rescheduled event.
The French Open was not impeded directly by the pandemic in terms of its schedule or participants. Nonetheless, the global sports landscape was affected by the pandemic in various ways, as evidenced by the Australian Open, which was postponed by three weeks to February 2021. Novak Djokovic and Barbora Krejcikova remained favorites for the men's and women's singles titles, respectively, according to betting odds, despite the circumstances.
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In light of the escalating coronavirus cases and the subsequent lockdown and restrictions, the French Tennis Federation (FFT) made the decision to postpone the French Open 2021 by one week. The tournament, originally scheduled from May 17 to June 6, faced a potential setback due to the increasing number of COVID-19 infections in France.
Following President Emmanuel Macron's statement on March 31, expressing hope for a resumption of cultural and sports activities mid-May, provided the health situation improved, the FFT took action and deemed it prudent to move the event by a week. This shift afforded extra time for the situation to improve and incremented the likelihood of attracting spectators to the newly renovated stadium.
The qualifying rounds commenced on May 24, followed by the main draw from May 30 to June 13. Despite the delay, top players like Elina Svitolina and Gael Monfils remained optimistic, hoping to perform well in the rescheduled tournament.
According to the health ministry, the number of COVID-19 patients in French ICUs reached a record 5,729 on March 31. This peak was last seen during the early days of the pandemic in April 2020. France has registered over 4.8 million COVID-19 cases and 96,672 fatalities to date, according to Johns Hopkins University's data.
Intriguingly, the 2021 French Open faced no direct conflict with the pandemic regarding its schedule or participants. Nevertheless, the global sports scene remained impacted by the pandemic in various ways, as demonstrated by the Australian Open's three-week postponement to February 2021. Top betting odds favored Novak Djokovic and Barbora Krejcikova in the men's and women's singles, respectively.
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