Rolex Paris Masters 2020 Faces Another Hurdle Ahead of Event

Tennis will soon return to France, as the Rolex Paris Masters 2020 is set to begin from November 2. This is the final ATP Masters event on the calendar, and the top seeds will battle it out over a week to determine the champion. However, this pandemic affected year continues to take a toll on the sport. The Paris Masters also falls prey and sufferers a major setback. 

Over the years, the prestigious tournament has welcomed fans, but 2020 has been devastating. Several tournaments pulled out of the calendar including Wimbledon, which was canceled for the first time since World War II.  

However, the Rolex Paris Masters will go ahead this year, but there are major restrictions in place. First and foremost, the tournament will not welcome fans, which is disappointing news. 

Rolex Paris Masters 2020 to be held under closed doors: Players’ accommodation confirmed

The Rolex Paris Masters 2020 was supposed to commence in a similar fashion to Roland Garros, allowing just 1,000 spectators a day. However, a recent update mentioned that: “According to the tournament detail sheet, Paris Bercy Masters will be held behind closed doors.”

“The health circumstances and the number of infections, as well as the restrictive measures adopted in Paris, have led the Masters 1000 in Paris-Bercy to confirm the celebration of the tournament behind closed doors, without an audience,” another website mentioned (Quotes translated from Spanish via Google).

This comes on the fact that the French Government has altered the guidelines and organizers have to comply. This is a major development from last week. Playing without any fans is a huge difference from competing in front of a few hundred! 

Moreover, the tournament’s bubble will see players coming back to familiar territory. It is reported that the Paris Masters players will be provided rooms at the same hotel where they stayed during the Roland Garros bubble.

The tournament’s dates have been finalized to be November 2-8. Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal, and several top stars are confirmed to be taking part. The main draw will take place on October 31 and the defending champion at Paris is Djokovic.

The Serbian has been dominant at the Rolex Paris Masters, winning four of the last seven editions. Can he once again reign supreme and win his fifth title in 2020?