Roland Garros could be rescheduled for second straight year due to pandemic

The second Major of the season should start in Paris on May 23, with the organizers hoping to stage the event in its regular frame, unlike in 2020 when they had to settle for October.

The French Sports Minister Roxana Maracineanu spoke on France Info radio on Saturday night and mentioned a possibility to postpone the Parisian Major for the second straight year. Due to a sharp rise in coronavirus cases, France has entered the third national lockdown. President Emmanuel Macron said on Wednesday that he was expecting to re-open the country in mid-May, and the organizers are still preparing everything to host the world's best players in under two months.

In 2020, Roland Garros took place in October for the first time, with the organizers dealing with cold and rainy weather. Rafael Nadal claimed the 13th Parisian title, beating all seven rivals in straight sets and toppling Novak Djokovic in the title clash to extend his reign. In the WTA draw, the 19-year-old Iga Swiatek followed Rafa's pace and defeated all seven opponents with a perfect score, becoming one of the youngest champions in Paris.

"We are in discussion with the French Tennis Federation, which organizes the event, to see if we should change the date to coincide with a possible resumption of all sports and major events. Today, although the high-level sport has been preserved, we try to limit the risks of clusters, of spreading the virus within professional sports," Maracineanu told France Info radio.