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The 2020 French Open has been postponed to September 20 amid the rising concerns over the coronavirus pandemic. The organisers tweeted on Tuesday that it will be held from September 20 to October 4. The clay court Grand Slam was originally scheduled to be held from May 18 to June 7.
"The Roland Garros tournament will be played from 20th September to 4th October 2020," they tweeted.
"Though nobody is able to predict what the situation will be on 18th May, the current confinement measures have made it impossible for us to continue with our preparations and, as a result, we are unable to hold the tournament on the dates originally planned," the French Open organisers said in a statement.
"In order to act responsibly and protect the health of its employees, service providers and suppliers during the organisation period, the FFT has chosen the only option that will allow them to maintain the 2020 edition of the tournament while joining the fight against COVID-19."
"We have made a difficult yet brave decision in this UNPRECEDENTED situation, which has evolved greatly since last weekend. We are acting responsibly, and must work together in the fight to ensure everybody's health and safety," French Tennis Federation president Bernard Giudicelli said.
Last month, Swiss tennis great Roger Federer announced that he will be giving the French Open a miss this year after undergoing a knee surgery. The 38-year-old said in a social media post that he had underwent arthroscopic surgery in Switzerland.
As a result of this he will be missing a number of tournaments, including the Indian Wells and the French Open and stated that he is gearing up for the grass court tournaments that come after the clay court Grand Slam.
"My right knee has been bothering me for a little while. I hoped it would go away, but after an examination, and discussion with my team, I decided to have arthroscopic surgery in Switzerland yesterday," said Federer.
Last year, Federer had reached the semi-final of Rolland Garros where he lost in straight sets to Rafael Nadal, who was on his way to a record-extending 12th title. It was Federer''s first appearance at the French Open since 2015.
(IANS)
