Hosting French Open without spectators ruled out

French sports minister Roxana Maracineanu has confirmed that hosting the French Open in September is still a possibility but staging the Major event without spectators has been ruled out. 

French sports minister Roxana Maracineanu says the rescheduled Tour de France & French Open are still a possibility in September but says they won't be staged without spectators. "They will be held only if fans are permitted," she said.

— Christopher Clarey (@christophclarey) May 1, 2020

On March 17 -- while the Tour was still suspended until late April -- the French Tennis Federation (FFT) decided to move on from French Open's traditional late-May and early-June start and reschedule the event for September 20 - October 4. 

The FFT received lots of criticism for their unilateral decision to move the French Open for September as they reportedly didn't consult the remaining six stakeholders of tennis when making the decision. 

But the season is now suspended until at least July 13 and the French Open wouldn't be able to proceed with its initial date even if the FFT didn't reschedule the event. 

On April 1, the Wimbledon organizers announced the cancellation of The Championships as the most prestigious tennis event in the world got cancelled for the first time since 1945. 

A week before the cancellation was announced, the Wimbledon organizers announced that hosting The Championships without fans was ruled out. 

If the season resumes, the major focus will be on hosting the French Open and US Open, which is still scheduled to take place from August 31 - September 13.

from Tennis World USA https://ift.tt/2WvMCXT