From May 22nd to June 5th, Tennis fans will be in for a treat due to the celebration of one of the 4 Grand Slams of this sport: the mythical Roland Garros. Regarding the upcoming start of the tournament, its director, Amélie Mauresmo clarified that the doors will be open for tennis players of all nationalities, but pointed out a conduct that will be strictly prohibited and will be punished in case of presenting itself.
The defending French open singles champions are Serbia's Novak Djokovic and Czech Republic native Barbora Krejčíková, who hope to defend their crowns. However, the door will always be open for surprises, such as the new Spanish and new world tennis star Carlos Alcaraz, whom Djokovic himself pointed out as a candidate to become champion.
Roland Garros will also be graced by the presence of Rafael Nadal, the biggest winner in the history of the tournament and current fourth seed in the rankings. The Swiss Roger Federer, who will be replaced by the German Peter Gojowczyk, will not be able to attend this great event.
The prohibited Conduct at Roland Garros 2022
In December 2021, former tennis star Amélie Mauresmo was announced as the new director of the French Open. Never before in the history of this tournament had a woman held this position. The French shared the position that this tournament will follow regarding the conflict between Russia and Ukraine, in which she emphasizes the intention of having the greatest neutrality except in a demonstration that will be strictly forbidden under penalty of sanction to whoever carries it out.
"We are in line with the decision of the EU sports ministers. We will not welcome teams, but we will welcome individual athletes (from Russia or Belarus). Obviously, if an athlete shows himself to the pro-Putin press there will be sanctions." stated Mauresmo in an interview for France Inter Radio.
Likewise, the Roland Garros director confirmed that neither the Russian flag nor that of Belarus, as well as their respective national anthems, will be displayed or played during the tournament, to which she pointed out that regarding the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine "there is no fair decision".