The French Open was postponed for about four months because of the coronavirus pandemic, juggling the tennis calendar by shifting from May to September.
The French tennis federation said Tuesday it will hold its 15-day clay-court event at Roland Garros in Paris from Sept. 20 to Oct. 4, instead of May 24 to June 7, “to ensure the health and safety of everyone involved in organizing the tournament.”
Federation President Bernard Giudicelli described it as “a difficult yet brave decision in this unprecedented situation.”
It’s a similar move to what another major sports event, the Kentucky Derby, made in going from spring to fall. This is the first instance of a Grand Slam tournament being affected by the virus that has spread around the world. The next major tennis championship on the calendar is Wimbledon, which is to start in late June in England.