French Open to allow fans with negative tests, vaccination certificates

Paris, May 12 (EFE).- Fans will have to prove they have tested negative for, recovered from or been vaccinated against Covid-19 to be allowed to attend the French Open, the organizers announced on Wednesday.

The clay-court tournament, which takes place between 30 May and 13 June, will feature night sessions from 8 June, when the curfew currently in place will be extended from 7pm to 11pm.

To access the venue, fans will have to present a PCR or antigen test result carried out in 48 hours ahead of the match, a vaccination certificate or proof they have recovered from the disease, the federation director-general Amélie Oudéa-Castéra said at a press conference.

A maximum of 5,388 spectators will attend the matches until June 8, rising to 13,146 until the end of the tournament.

The 12-hectare Ronald Garros compound comprises 16 courts, some of which are equipped to welcome fans, including the Philippe-Chatrier and the Suzanne-Lenglen courts.

The limited capacity set for this edition has caused a drop in ticket sales, Oudéa-Castéra said.

Organizers plan to sell 118,611 tickets, compared to 500,000 in 2019, the last edition before the pandemic. EFE

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