The delayed French Open could be played behind closed doors, organisers admitted today.
The Paris event, which had originally been scheduled to begin on May 24, has been postponed to a September 20 start.
French Tennis Federation boss Bernard Giudicelli has now warned that the two-week tournament could take place without any spectators.
“Organising it without fans would allow a part of the economy to keep turning, television rights and partnerships,” he said. “It’s not to be overlooked. We’re not ruling any option out.”
Giudicelli also revealed the tournament could be shifted back another week on the calendar, meaning it would not reach its conclusion until October 11.
The tournament broke ranks from the wider tennis world by announcing its original revised dates. Wimbledon has already been scrapped as a result of the pandemic, with the US Open also likely to be cancelled, and doubts remain over both Roland Garros and even next year’s Australian Open.
