The French Open has decided to curtail the rowdiness of tennis fans by banning the sale of alcohol in response to a recent spitting incident.
French Open Tournament Director Amelie Mauresmo announced that the famed Roland Garros stadium, where the tournament is held, will no longer serve alcohol after Belgian player David Goffin and Polish player Iga Swiatek raised concerns over the conduct of the crowd.
David Goffin of Belgium looks on during his match against Alexander Zverev of Germany in the Men’s Singles second round match on Day Five of the 2024 French Open at Roland Garros on May 30, 2024, in Paris, France. (Mateo Villalba/Getty Images)
“Alcohol was allowed until now in the stands — not in all the stands — that’s over,” Mauresmo said. “If they exceed the limit, if they don’t behave well, or if they throw things at the players, that’s it.”
Fans can still drink alcohol in the concourses and near the stands, as long as they don’t come near the court.
“First of all, we are happy that people are very enthusiastic about watching tennis, about being part of the matches, about feeling emotions and showing emotions,” Mauresmo said. “But yes, definitely there are steps that they shouldn’t go further [than].
Iga Swiatek plays during Roland Garros 2024 in Paris, France, on May 29, 2024. (Photo by Foto Olimpik/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
“Few things have been put in place: First of all, the umpires really going to be even more strict to further respect the players and respect the game. This is something that we’re not going to tolerate, to overstep these two things. That’s for sure. So, umpires have quite an important role in this matter. And definitely, in terms of security, we’re going to try to see which people … are overstepping. So these individuals … try to calm them down, or they go out. If they go too far, they go out.”
Should alcohol prohibition near the court prove unsuccessful in tempering the crowd, Mauresmo is open to further restrictive measures.
“Let’s see how it goes with the [umpires] being a little bit more strict. Let’s see how it goes with the security being also a little bit more strict,” she said. “And I don’t want to be negative, and I’m an optimist. I’m really trying to see that people are going to react in a good way and that it’s going to be OK, and if it’s not, we will take other measures.”
Goffin made his displeasure with the crowd known after his victory over French player Giovanni Mpetshi.
“Clearly, it goes too far; it’s total disrespect. It’s becoming like football. Soon, there will be smoke bombs, hooligans, and there will be fights in the stands,” he said.
“It’s starting to become ridiculous. Some people are there more to cause trouble than to create an atmosphere.”
However, after his next match, a second-round loss to Alexander Zverev, Goffin said the atmosphere had improved.
