After being postponed from May to October last year, the French Open 2021 returned to its annual spring spell. However, with the coronavirus still being a reality, the tournament had to push back a week from its initial date.

It was not an easy decision to make as both ATP and WTA tournaments lined up behind it would suffer, but it was the right decision, given the circumstances.

The French Tennis Federation, which administers the French Open, worked in agreement with the governing bodies of France and tennis international to reach this verdict.

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What does one-week postponement mean to French Open organizers?

Although it might seem that shifting seven days cannot change the actuality, it bettered the situation for the tournament. And so, Roland-Garros 2021 started making plans to utilize this extended time.

Consequently, the FFT announced that they would allow maximum crowd at their freshly-upgraded stadium of 30 acres. Moreover, the Grand Slam Board also gave the tournament its full support.

“For the fans, the players and the atmosphere, the presence of spectators is vital for our tournament, the spring’s most important international sporting event,” the president of the FFT, Gilles Moretton, said.

As far as the numbers go, a total of 5,388 spectators will be allowed inside the facility. It will then rise to 13,146 from June 9.

However, in handling the repercussions of the delay and organizing the major tournament, the French Open further reduced their prize money to €34 million in total. Despite that, the players would continue to be ecstatic to win the prestigious title.

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What changed after the postponement of Roland-Garros?

Most significantly, the one-week delay shortened the gap between French Open and Wimbledon to two weeks. While Roger Federer and Serena Williams are okay with it, Novak Djokovic is not.

Besides that, the tournaments behind Roland Garros might have received compensation. And now, it is all set to go according to their derived plan.

The tournament will begin from May 24 for the qualifiers whereas the main draw starts on May 30. And on June 13, the world will have its 2021 Roland-Garros champions.

Its defending champions are Spaniard Rafael Nadal and Polish professional Iga Swiatek. Unquestionably, they will be more eager than others to defend their title.

Also Read: French Open 2021: All You Need to Know About the Wildcards and Qualifiers