2020 French Open Preview

The French Open has a new home on the calendar this year, moving from its typical start time in May to the end of September, with the 2020 event set to run from September 21-October 11.

Much like the U.S. Open, the French Open will have a different feel to it this year, but as the pro circuits shift from hard-courts to clay, let’s take a look at some things to watch out for when the pros descend on Roland Garros in Paris, France.

French Open officials have indicated that it will allow up to 60 percent capacity in the crowd for this year’s tournament.

“The number of spectators allowed in the stadium will be 50%-60% of the usual capacity,” the FFT (French Tennis Federation) said. “This reduction will allow strict distancing measures to be respected.”

Wearing masks will be recommended when fans are lined up to enter the grounds or when they are sitting in the stands, but must be worn when moving around. This is a strong change from the way the U.S. Open approached its “bubble”, with no spectators and very limited media, so it will be interesting to see how strictly the French Open officials enforce this mask policy and if everyone involved can remain safe.

While many of Europe’s biggest stars opted to not travel to New York for the U.S. Open, for those that did, moving from the hardcourts of the United States to the clay courts of Paris could prove a difficult transition. There will be tune-up tournaments in Austria, Italy and Germany prior to the start of the French Open, but quickly adapting your game between surfaces is not as easy as it sounds, and therefore those players who decided to remain in Europe could be at an advantage in terms of their preparation and readiness for the world’s premier clay court event.

Tennis fans were delighted to welcome Andy Murray back to the tour this summer, after the Briton nearly retired due to injuries, and has not been himself over the last couple of years. Murray did travel to New York and competed in the U.S. Open, his first Grand Slam singles event since the 2019 Australian Open. Murray came back from two sets down to win his opening round match in Queens, but fell to young Canadian star Felix Auger Aliassime in the second round. Nonetheless, the fact that Murray was able to compete in a fiveset match is a good sign for the three-time Grand Slam singles champion, and he has committed to playing the French Open, although most likely won’t participate in the tournaments leading up to it in order to allow his body to recover.

Romania’s Simona Halep was one of those top players who opted to remain in Europe in the late summer to prepare for the French Open, and the second-ranked player in the world made good on that decision by capturing her 21st career WTA title at the Prague Open in the Czech Republic. “I always said I would put my health at the heart of my decision,” Halep said after winning Prague, indicating her decision to opt out of the U.S. Open. “And I therefore prefer to stay and train in Europe.”

Halep, who hoisted the French Open trophy in 2018, is the presumptive favorite to reign in Paris again this year, with the abundance of training she can do on clay ahead of the events.

No athlete has dominated a single event or venue like Rafael Nadal has Roland Garros. The Spaniard is a 12-time champion at the French Open, and with him set to play this year’s event, he is the favorite on the men’s side once again. Nadal did not travel for the U.S. Open and is spending his time preparing for the clay season which culminates in Paris.

“My hope and my intention would be to be there at the French Open,” he said in early August. “I trust it will yes, it is in my mind and I am preparing for it.”

With Nadal in the fold, the greatest clay-court player of alltime will be the tournament favorite.

Brian Coleman is the Senior Editor for Long Island Tennis Magazine. He may be reached at brianc@usptennis.com.

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