Organizers of the French Open, one of professional tennis’ four Grand Slam tournaments, have banned the sale of alcohol to fans after a week of rowdy behavior in the stands.
“Alcohol was until now authorized in the stands. Now it’s over,” said Tournament Director Amelie Mauresmo. “The referees will really be even stricter to respect the players even more and respect the game,” she said. according to CNBC.
No one from the French Open could immediately be reached by NBC News on Thursday afternoon for comment.
Former No. 1 Mauresmo’s comments were prompted by the raucous behavior of revelers in the stands during the first week of the tournament at Roland Garros.
Belgian David Goffin said Wednesday that a fan spat gum at him during his five-set victory over Frenchman Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard, CNBC reported.
Also on Wednesday, world No. 1 player Iga Swiatek asked fans to keep quiet during points in her hard-fought win against Naomi Osaka.
Mauresmo said the move to prevent spectators from drinking while watching the tournament was a matter of respect for the players and the game, CNBC reported.
“That’s something we’re not going to tolerate, going beyond those two things. That’s sure. So referees have a very important role in this issue,” she said. “And definitely in terms of safety, let’s try to see which people are perhaps causing (problems), because I think it’s a few individuals at some point who are overstepping.”
No one from the U.S. Open — which is scheduled for late August to early September at Flushing Meadows-Corona Park in Queens, New York — responded for comment Thursday afternoon on whether the tournament will follow suit.
The French Open, played on clay, and the US Open, on hard courts, are among the sport’s four most prestigious tournaments. The others include the Australian Open, played on a hard surface, and Wimbledon, played on grass.
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