French Open 2020 preview: Everything has changed at Roland Garros, will the champions change too?
Nothing seems familiar at the Roland Garros this year, except the men’s defending champion, a certain Rafael Nadal who has won the title 12 times.
The time slot is new, rescheduled to late September from May due to the coronavirus pandemic. This means the weather will be different, with autumn chill and rain altering the playing conditions. The main court has a roof this year, which means rain will not always stop all matches. The official balls have been changed from Babolat to Wilson, a move that has prompted largely negative reactions from players for further slowing the conditions.
From millions up in smoke to ‘dangerous’ balls, the many challenges ahead of new-look French Open
But do these slew of changes mean that the essence of French Open 2020 will change? It will be the final Grand Slam of the season, played with restrictions and just 1000 spectators allowed per day but the winner still has seven rounds to win on the grinding red clay.
When it comes to the players too, there is yet another slight but imperceptible change. The top contenders are Nadal and top seed Simona Halep, both who opted to skip the US Open. That didn’t stop Halep from lifting the title at the Italian Open,...
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