Rafael Nadal will begin the pursuit of his 14th Roland Garros title, starting May 30, amid fan-filled stadiums as France eases COVID-19 restrictions during and after the tournament.

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The Roland Garros has already been postponed by one week this year. The decision to postpone the French Open for the second year in a row has saved “tens of millions of euros,” according to the French Tennis Federation’s president.

Following the French government’s revelation of its plan to progressively ease COVID-19 lockdown restrictions, Roland-Garros will be allowed to accommodate a substantially bigger audience in the final five days of the tennis competition than originally envisaged.

Until June 8, a total of just over 5,000 attendees will be permitted to the Roland Garros venue. The government’s plan to hike fan counts to a 65 percent increase will boost that number to more than 13,000 a day later.

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Proof of vaccination or a negative RT-PCR test for fans at Roland Garros

If fans wish to be among the small proportion of attendees permitted to see this year’s Roland Garros, they must verify they are free of COVID-19, organisers announced on Wednesday.

Potential attendees must provide confirmation of a negative PCR or antigen test within 48 hours of attendance, or carry proof of immunisation, according to Amelie Oudea-Castera, director-general of the French Tennis Federation (FFT).

Players to get a one-hour window outside the social-distancing bubble

Tournament officials said Wednesday that players at the French Open will be given an everyday one-hour window out of their social-distancing bubble.

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Despite the COVID-19 restrictions, Guy Forget, the director of the clay-court Grand Slam, stated players will be able to go for a run or get some fresh air during their stay in the French city. Players are “extremely aware of the danger,” with respect to the coronavirus outbreak, according to the statement, hence they will not be placed under surveillance.

“Our goal is not to put them in a necklace and attach them to their hotel or to the Roland Garros stadium,” Forget said.

Players will head directly to their hotel upon arriving in Paris, according to Forget, and will be screened for the coronavirus before receiving their accreditation. They’ll be subjected to PCR testing every four days after that.

According to Forget, all players would be hosted in two Paris hotels with access to eateries and workout centres. On days when they are not slated to compete, they will not be allowed admittance at Roland Garros.

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Fans would have to wear masks at all times

Within the arena, fans above the age of 11 will be obliged to wear masks at all instances.

From June 9, they will need to prove they had a negative PCR or antigenic test less than 48 hours before entering the arena, provide a vaccination certificate, or provide proof they have been afflicted and managed to recover from the virus, depending on the acceptance of a medical certificate by French authorities.

One of the new features unveiled this season are 10-day night matches with a retractable roof on centre court and floodlights. Due to the night curfew of 9 p.m., games will be held sans crowds, with the exception of the final day on June 9.

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The French Tennis Federation’s (FFT) decision to move the event back a week on April 8 paid off. The proportion of attendees would be much smaller if the competition ended on June 6, as originally intended.

On June 9, France will start “Phase 3” of easing the lockdown, with gyms reopening and sports venues allowing up to 5,000 spectators with permits proving they have tested negative for Covid-19 or have been vaccinated.

The restarting of eateries and cafés for outside sitting, with up to six individuals per table, will help in providing the event organisers an added push, allowing them to receive their VIP visitors in virtually normal circumstances.

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The springtime Grand Slam will be able to accommodate three times lesser fans than normal, but five times higher than the previous year.

The 2021 edition of the clay-court Grand Slam begins on Sunday in Paris, exactly seven months after the conclusion of the 2020 event, which was moved from May/June to September/October due to coronavirus.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Roland Garros was postponed by four months the previous year.  Each day, a cap of 1,000 spectators were permitted on site.