French Open will 'absolutely not be held behind closed doors'

It has been confirmed that the US Open in New York will be played behind closed doors and with probable limits on the size of players' support staff due to the coronavirus pandemic.

The French Open takes place on September 27, two weeks after the US Open finishes, and FFT president Bernard Giudicelli says the stands will not be empty.

"It will absolutely not be behind closed doors. There is no final decision yet on the number of spectators, which will be decided on with the public authorities."

The FFT added in a statement: "The FFT is preparing the tournament with the state services in order to define the appropriate measures which will guarantee the health and safety of all the populations present at the stadium. All options are thus studied and evolving."

The year's second Grand Slam should have started at the end of May but was moved originally by the FFT to a September 20-October 4 slot after the coronavirus pandemic forced a suspension of tennis.

It has now been moved to September 27, with an FFT statement saying it had consulted with the ATP, WTA and International Tennis Federation (ITF) to allow the Roland-Garros showpiece the benefit of an extra week.

The three-week span means that, unlike the US Open that starts on Aug. 31, a qualifying event can be held.

"We are delighted that consultation with the various international tennis authorities has enabled the 2020 edition of the Roland-Garros tournament to be extended to three weeks," FFT President Bernard Giudicelli said.

"In the current context, we are fully aware of the privilege of being able to organize Roland-Garros in its usual form. Especially since the holding of qualifications will also participate in financially supporting a category of players and professional players affected by this unprecedented crisis."