“Dare Not Imagine That”: French Tennis Chief Worried About the Cancelation of French Open 2021

The coronavirus pandemic is still not over yet and it is still affecting many sports including tennis. With the upcoming clay-court season, clouds are still looming over the French Open 2021. In a situation like this, there are high chances that the tournament might get canceled or postponed.

The French Open couldn’t take place on time last year due to the virus only. It happened after four months of its scheduled time and fans definitely want it to happen on time this year. However, France is recording around 40,000 cases every day and thus, there is no certainty about its fixture yet again.

In a recent interview, French Tennis chief Gilles Moretton said that he is not even thinking about the cancellation of the Grand Slam. He believes that everything is going smooth right now and they’ll take all the necessary precautions depending on the state of the virus.

“At the moment, we are on track, the tournament is on the scheduled date (May 23-June 6). But if we are told a general confinement for two months, we will necessarily have to take measures — the worst being the outright cancellation, but I dare not imagine that,” said Moretton.

The Chief surely doesn’t want the French Open 2021 to get canceled. He highlighted that he dare not even imagine that scenario at this moment.

“Studying a lot of options”- Gilles Moretton on French Open 2021

Moretton emphasized that he and his team are studying a lot of options for the Roland Garros 2021. Even though he mentioned that he is not expecting a 100% crowd, he believes that the organizers can start from closed doors and gradually increase the audience. He also revealed that he is meeting with different players and working out a plan.

“We are studying a lot of options for Roland Garros 2021. There is the total range … or almost total because I dare not imagine a 100% crowd level. But that can start from behind closed doors to a level that will not be 100%. All the options with us are ready. We meet all the players regularly and we wait to see how things will turn out,” added the chief.

He also explained that there are other tournaments in the same territory before the French Open 2021.

“Before us, there are other tournaments like Monte Carlo which takes place on the same territory and which is outdoors. After there are tournaments not too far away (Madrid, Rome), so we are not like the situation in Australia,” concluded Moretton.

Fans are surely excited for the Roland Garros 2021 and want it to take place as soon as possible. Rafael Nadal and Iga Swiatek will begin as the defending champions at the Grand Slam.

Also Read: Rafael Nadal Labels French Open 2020 Win As an ‘Unexpected Victory’