With French Open postponed, perfect day in Paris lacks tennis, crowds

AP photo by Francois Mori / It was quiet Sunday at Stade Roland Garros in Paris on what should have been the first day of the 2020 French Open. The clay court championship has been rescheduled from its regular slot on the tennis calendear to September. AP photo by Francois Mori / It was quiet Sunday at Stade Roland Garros in Paris on what should have been the first day of the 2020 French Open. The clay court championship has been rescheduled from its regular slot on the tennis calendear to September.

By JEROME PUGMIRE / The Associated Press May 25, 2020 4 min read

PARIS – Tennis, anyone?

Not Sunday at Roland Garros Stadium. Nobody was there. Maybe they will be in September.

It should have been the first day of the French Open, the clay-court Grand Slam tournament held annually at Roland Garros, with thousands flocking to catch a glimpse of 12-time champion Rafael Nadal, top-ranked Novak Djokovic or record-chasing Serena Williams.

Instead, because of the coronavirus pandemic, the grounds in leafy western Paris were deserted on a sunny day with blue skies.

“Every year it’s Roland Garros time, it’s a bit like tennis fever. I was looking forward to seeing quality tennis and having a day out again. There’s a certain mood, an atmosphere,” said 34-year-old Hector Snowman, who attended the tournament in 2019. “You see stars walking around there, it feels like a privilege to be there. Everyone’s expecting a French player to do well, and they have their favorites like (Roger) Federer.”