A Hotel Shows the French Open Is Another Sports Bubble That Isn’t

Sunday at the Pullman might have been serene, but Britain’s top-ranked player, Dan Evans, was discomfited by what he observed the day before in one of the busier sections of the city.

“There was a lot of people in our hotel,” he said after his five-set loss to Kei Nishikori in the opening round. “For me, that’s not what I want to see in this situation, personally. If we’re not allowed to leave, then we shouldn’t be seeing the public in the hotel.”

Inside this tennis bubble, as in the world at large, the virus is encouraging not just physical distance between people. It is also opening a philosophical divide. The American John Isner said that he had been approached by fans outside the hotel seeking to take selfies with him and that he was happy to oblige.

“Our masks are on, it’s totally safe,” Isner said, adding, “Normal behavior, in my opinion, is very much needed.”

Instead of consensus, leaders in tennis have conflicting agendas. Given that the French Open is its main source of funding, the French Tennis Federation was desperate to hold the event, to collect the broadcast rights revenue and salvage some ticket sales.

Article source: https://www.nytimes.com/2020/09/30/sports/tennis/coronavirus-french-open-bubble-hotel.html