The French Open begins on Sunday, September 27 with only 1,000 spectators allowed on site, questions as to whether cases of coronavirus in France will continue to increase and the expected debut – with rain forecast – of the new retractable roof $ 55 million atop Philippe Chatrier Court. You can watch everything like fuboTV will broadcast live of Roland Garros.
The most anticipated match of Day 1 in the main stadium will be Andy Murray against Stan Wawrinka in a two-man game with three Grand Slam titles each.
In 2017, they faced each other in the semi-finals of Roland Garros – and none have really been the same since, each requiring multiple surgeries. For Murray, now 33, the hotspot was his hip; for Wawrinka, 35, his knee.
Also on the program at Chatrier: No.1 seed Simona Halep, the 2018 champion. On court Suzanne Lenglen, 16-year-old American Coco Gauff faces a difficult task on her debut in the main draw at Roland- Garros against No.9 seed Johanna Konta, whose trio of major semifinal appearances include such a run in Paris last year.
The French Open begins at 4 a.m. (5 a.m. ET) and will be broadcast live on fuboTV, which offers a 7-day free trial. The Tennis Channel will broadcast Day 1 of Roland Garros.
Overview
PROGRAM: The 15-day tournament starts on Sunday. The women’s singles final will take place on Saturday October 10; the men’s singles final is Sunday, October 11. The French Open normally starts in May but has been postponed this year due to the coronavirus pandemic.
MISSING IN 2020: If Nadal can win Roland Garros again, he would take his Grand Slam trophy total to 20, which would tie Roger Federer for the most by a man in tennis history. Federer will not be in Paris; he remains seated the remainder of the season after having undergone two operations on his right knee. Another prominent player on the sidelines is three-time Grand Slam champion Naomi Osaka, who won the US Open this month.
RAISE THE ROOF: The Roland-Garros makeover project, discussed at length and delayed, finally offers protection against the rain, because a retractable roof is ready at the top of the Philippe Chatrier court. Other changes include artificial lights, which will be necessary as the sun sets earlier in the fall than during the usual spring tournament dates. Another difference: Court 1, known as “The Bullring” has been demolished.
FINAL SETS: The last four men’s Grand Slam finals have ended in a fifth set, two of which resulted in tiebreakers. That can’t happen at Roland Garros, now the only major tennis championship that continues to let singles play go on until someone wins a deciding set – fifth sets for men; third sets for women – by two sets.
SUNDAY FORECASTS: Rain. High of 61 degrees Fahrenheit (16 Celsius).
2019 SINGLE WOMEN’S CHAMPION: Ash Barty from Australia (who is not registered this year)
2019 MEN’S SINGLE CHAMPION: Spaniard Rafael Nadal (who will try to win a 13th Roland Garros title this year and a 20th Grand Slam title overall to tie Roger Federer’s record for men)
KEY STATISTICS: 93-2 – Rafael Nadal’s career record at Roland Garros
THE PRIZE MONEY: Total: 38.4 million euros (about 44.8 million dollars), compared to about 42.5 million euros (about 48 million dollars) in 2019.
Men’s and women’s singles champions: € 1.6 million each (around $ 1.9 million), up from € 2.3 million each (around $ 2.6 million) in 2019.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
