Did the French Open ban alcohol in the stands for fans?

Was World No. 1 Iga Swiatek’s complaints about crowd noise the final straw? Who can say? Whatever the case, the Polish sensation’s stance was simply the latest in a long line of critiques that have come from tennis players over the years when it comes to crowd behavior and the effect that alcohol has on it. Even ‘bad boy’ Nick Kyrgios once complained about a drunken fan disrupting his play, something he was later sued for. Yet, is it much ado about nothing? Let’s take a look

Roland Garros bans alcohol but have we been here before?

As much as the dust is still yet to settle, the reality is that you read that right. According to an announcement from the tournament director of Roland Garros on Thursday, fans will no longer be permitted to consume alcohol while attending matches. Indeed, Amélie Mauresmo explained the controversial decision citing constant complaints from players about the behavior of fans. As you can probably guess, the news was not well received with one fan declaring, “It’s allowed everywhere else. Why shouldn’t it be allowed at a tennis match?”

In the face of critique, Mauresmo, a two-time Grand Slam winner as a player over 10 years ago - simply reiterated the organization’s stance, before disclosing details about security going forward. “Until now, alcohol was allowed in the stands. Not in every stand; not in the (VIP section of Chatrier), for example,” she said. “But now it’s over. Everywhere.” Now, for the purpose of context, it should be noted that such a decision is not unique to tennis. Indeed, some four decades ago Britain took a holistic approach to soccer, banning the consumption of alcohol at all fields across the country following consistent occurrences of violence among fans. On the other hand, one can find fans freely consuming pints of beer at any game today i.e., things have changed.

OK, but how did Roland Garros get to this point?

Truthfully, there has been mixed reaction amongst tennis enthusiasts. The large majority are of course in opposition to the decision, but some don’t seem to have any issue. “For me, it’s not a problem, because at least I can still drink outside the stadium,” said Guilherme Kagaya, a 40-year-old Brazilian who currently works in advertising. “It’s actually more normal to have a beer outside.” Be that as it may, the decision has not come from simply reviewing the way fans behave, but rather on the back of complaints from players themselves.

One such player was Belgium’s David Goffin, a player who Kagaya was watching in the second round at Court Suzanne Lenglen and was subsequently defeated by Alexander Zverev. It was in fact Goffin who raised an issue after his first-round victory over a French player, stating that he was “insulted for 3 1/2 hours” by the partisan supporters, before finally having a piece of gum spat at him. “It’s a total lack of respect. I think it’s just too much. It’s becoming soccer. Soon there’ll be smoke bombs, hooligans, and fights in the stands. I think it’s getting ridiculous. Some people are there more to cause trouble than to enjoy the atmosphere,” What’s more is that Goffin even suggested that the situation was far worse than it was at other major tournaments such as the U.S. Open, Wimbledon or Australian Open. “Here, it’s really an unhealthy atmosphere, I think. You can feel that people are talking to you and trying to throw you off balance with really harsh words. I’m not going to repeat what I heard,” said Goffin

Iga Swiatek and Naomi Osaka weigh in

One interesting point to note in Mauresmo’s comments was what she said about the covid-19 pandemic, stating that she believed spectators have been going too far since returning to public spaces following lockdowns. “People went back to the stadiums and were eager to relive that kind of emotion. And then we noticed, like with (Goffin) the other day, that there were some people who actually crossed the line,” she said. “So what I’d like to say is, yes, we’re happy that there’s an atmosphere, that there’s emotion, that there’s a crowd. On the other hand, we’re going to be adamant about respecting the players and the game.”

Conversely, Poland’s Iga Swiatek and current World No. 1 appeared to take a slightly more diplomatic approach to things. On the hunt for her fourth French Open title in five years, the top player in women’s tennis was measured in her take. “Thank you for cheering for me!”, she said following her win against former No. 1 Naomi Osaka on Wednesday, before going a little deeper. “When you scream something during the rally or right before the return, it’s really, really hard to be focused,” Swiatek said. “The stakes are big and there is a lot of money here to win. So losing a few points may change a lot,” she continued. “So please, guys, if you can support us between the rallies — but not during — that would be really, really amazing.”

Then, there was Naomi Osaka who didn’t appear to have a problem with the crowd at all, seemingly referencing the rowdiness of New York crowds at the U.S. Open, something that directly contradicted Goffin’s take which in itself is interesting to note given that she’s won two of her four Grand Slam titles there. “I thought the crowd was really cool. For me, I feel like those are the moments I live for. Also, it just makes me feel like the crowd is having fun, and I think at the end of the day that’s what I want the most. I want people to - like, no matter if I won or lost - (say), ‘Oh, I watched the match and I had a great time,’” Osaka said. “For me, I didn’t have a problem with the crowd at all,” she added. “But I’m also used to the New York crowd.” While the decision has been taken, it would appear that the jury is still out on this one.