“The Current Situation Generates Uncertainty” – French Open 2020 Cancellation Looms Large

The French Open caused an uproar in the tennis world when the organizers made a unilateral decision to reschedule the event. The reshuffle meant the Major would no longer go ahead on the original dates, May 24 – June 7. Instead of canceling the event like Wimbledon, officials postponed it to September 20 – October 4. This meant that it would be held just one week after the completion of the US Open. This led to criticism from tennis players and fans alike, accusing the tournament of overlooking player welfare.

The latest announcement by the French Tennis Federation (FFT) seems like an attempt to provide more flexibility. They have announced that all the tickets initially purchased by the fans for the May event will be refunded. Let’s find out more details.

What is the big reason behind this decision by the French Open? 

There seem to be multiple reasons for this decision. Initially, it was supposed that the fans who had purchased the tickets earlier would be able to use their tickets in September.

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This is what the French Open announced via their Twitter accounts –

“The current situation generates too much uncertainty for all the events that bring people together all over the world.”

They added –

“While we fine-tune the organization of the tournament, we have decided to reimburse all tickets.”

However, there doesn’t look to be any possibility of the pandemic magically vanishing by September. In fact, the virus continues to affect France heavily. Even if the intensity of the pandemic is not high by that time, the social distancing regulations will, most probably, still be in place.

With the current ticket sales, the authorities would not have been able to accommodate all the people while also maintaining the required norms. This decision allows them to sell tickets to only the adequate number which can be adjusted in the stadium seats.

Additionally, it also clears the way for a possible cancelation. This is being touted as the most likely route. Considering that organizing a grand slam is a global activity requiring a lot of cooperation, it just doesn’t seem feasible. We still wait for official clarification. What do you think is the ultimate aim of the French Open through this decision?