3 major changes ahead of the 2022 French Open

The French Open is all set to host its 126th edition. The second Slam of the season will see a lot of new facilities for players and spectators. Additionally, some old features characteristic to the claycourt Slam that were restricted due to the pandemic are set to return.

Suzanne-Lenglen will host the Legends Trophy at the end of the tournament after a two-year hiatus. On Saturday, the French Open organizers hosted Roland Garros Kids' Day, which was traditionally celebrated a day after the qualifying-round matches. To ensure a full house, the organizers are also issuing 1,500 "Annexes Up" tickets with which spectators can access the outside courts and lower tier of the Philippe-Chatrier Court.

The installation of new LED panels has paved the way for the organizers to schedule no fewer than 10 night session matches, beginning this year. June 3 will be celebrated as "Everyone in a Wheelchair Day" to promote wheelchair tennis. "Green Teams," an educational organization, will return to the French Open to promote sustainable development through tennis.

The Cercle Athletique de Montrouge Tennis Club will be hosting the junior qualifying rounds for the first time since the pandemic began. Players are allowed to choose from 21 hotels within a five kilometer radius of Roland Garros to cut down travel times. Specialized facilities called "wellness bubbles" will also be introduced to support the mental health and well-being of the players.

Notably, this will be the first Slam where players from Russia and Belarus will not represent their flags. The announcement from the governing bodies of tennis comes as a result of the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

The Parisian Slam has a new slogan this year - "Move the lines, with style." Keeping that in mind, here's a look at three rule changes ahead of the 2022 French Open that directly affect the players' participation and matches.

#1 10-point final-set tie-break

Before 2019, the US Open was the only Slam that had a final-set tie-break. In 2019, the Australian Open introduced a 10-point final-set tie-break. The same year, Wimbledon introduced a tie-break when the final-set score was 12 games all.

Starting at the 2022 French Open, the ATP, WTA and ITF announced that a 10-point tie-break will be played when the final set reaches six games all. This will be applicable to all four Slams across all formats.

"Bringing all the tournaments into line with each other was a priority. That's the central idea behind this change. The four Grand Slams cat allow themselves to be different to each other," said Amelie Mauresmo, Tournament Director at Roland Garros.

#2 COVID-19 vaccination certificate no longer needed

In August 2021, the French government announced that international travellers were supposed to show negative COVID-19 results along with their complete vaccination status for access to restaurants, sporting events, cinemas, etc. However, in March 2022, this restriction was largely eased. Travellers now have to show their vaccination status and Covid certificate only if they want access to hospitals and nursing homes.

"We are delighted that the health situation has improved significantly and that things are looking up again. The lights are green and we're looking forward to a full-scale Roland Garros," said Gilles Moretton, President of the French Tennis Federation.

This came as a relief to defending champion Novak Djokovic, who was not allowed to participate at the Australian Open, as well as the Indian Wells and Miami Masters, for not being vaccinated.

#3 Increase in wheelchair draw size and show court matches

On June 3-4, the French Open is set to feature two wheelchair tennis matches in Philippe-Chatrier for the very first time. Apart from the boosted scheduling, the draw sizes of the wheelchair events have also increased. The wheelchair men's and women's competitions will feature a draw size of 12 each (previously eight). Additionally, the quad competition's draw size will be increased to eight (previously four).

The main-draw matches at the 2022 French Open will begin on Sunday. The event is set to return to its full capacity after COVID-19 restrictions were lifted.

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Also Check Out :- French Open 2022 Results