French Open switch serves up uncertainty

Clash with Chinese tournaments bemuses organizers and players

The postponement of the French Open has cast a long shadow over concurrent Chinese tournaments, with both organizers and players voicing concerns over the move.

On Wednesday, the French Open announced that it will stage its 2020 edition, originally scheduled for May, from Sept 20-Oct 4 due to the coronavirus pandemic.

The decision, which was made without consulting players, tour governing bodies or other events, leaves the fall stretch of the calendar in chaos, with the sport's hard-court China swing overlapping with the clay-court Grand Slam.

Outranked by the French Open's prestige and prize money, the change leaves Chinese events facing a probable struggle to attract the best players and maximize media interest.

On the women's WTA circuit, the Guangzhou Open and Wuhan Open will clash directly with Roland Garros, while two earlier entry-level events in Zhengzhou and Jiangxi as well as the China Open, which starts the day after the rescheduled French Open men's final, will be affected.

Overlapping men's events include two ATP 250 events in Chengdu and Zhuhai, while the Rolex Shanghai Masters, one of nine top-tier tournaments, takes place just two weeks after the rescheduled French Open.

Chinese event organizers have stated their disappointment at the hastily considered decision but still intend to proceed with their tournaments on schedule.

"Knowing that the French Open has adjusted its date, we believe it will have a significant impact on the entire Asia season, so we fully support any reasonable measures taken by events involved in the situation to safeguard their legitimate rights," said a statement released by the Rolex Shanghai Masters on Wednesday.

The organizing committee of the Wuhan Open said its preparations will advance on schedule as Hubei's capital continues to recover from being the Chinese epicenter of the coronavirus outbreak.

"Only by working together to communicate whenever it's needed can we handle the challenge and protect the interests of all parties involved. We will continue collaborating with the WTA, our partners and fellow event organizers in China to prepare the best possible tennis for fans while containing the epidemic."

Organizers of the ATP 250 Zhuhai Open and the combined ATP and WTA China Open also took a swipe at the French Tennis Association.

"We will keep close contact with the ATP and player representatives for any updates on the situation while continuing to prepare for our own event on the same schedule," said a Zhuhai Open statement.

The new French Open dates mean that action at Roland Garros will begin just seven days after the US Open, which is scheduled to conclude on Sept 13. This will leave players contesting a clay-court major right in the middle of the hard-court season and with little time for warm-ups and acclimation after traveling across continents.

The Laver Cup, an exhibition event in Boston contested between Team Europe and Team World, will also clash with the action in Paris.

Players around the world have weighed in, claiming that the overloaded stretch will bring injury risks and logistical problems.

Canadian ace Vasek Pospisil, a member of the ATP player council, described the French Open move as "insane", telling The New York Times: "We are always trying to make it work for everybody, and they just haven't consulted the ATP, the players or other tournaments. It's just a very selfish move. They are basically doing a power play right now, and it's quite arrogant."

Two-time Grand Slam champion Naomi Osaka voiced her dismay in French, tweeting: "Excusez moi??? (Excuse me?)"

Argentina's world No 13 Diego Schwartzman also vented his frustration, tweeting in Spanish: "Once again, we found out on Twitter."

In a joint statement issued on Wednesday, the WTA and ATP slammed the decision made by the French organizers, saying

"Now is not a time to act unilaterally, but in unison. All decisions related to the impact of the coronavirus require appropriate consultation and review with the stakeholders in the game."

As the coronavirus continues to spread across Europe and North America, the ATP and WTA have called off all tournaments in the spring clay-court swing.

The pro season will be suspended through June 7, with subsequent tournaments taking place as per the published schedule.