"If this was 2014, French Open would take a month to finish": Fans annoyed as frequent rain delays halt Ben Shelton, Denis Shapovalov matches mid way

The 2024 French Open has so far been plagued by frequent rainfall in Paris, which resulted in several matches being suspended. There hasn't been too much of an issue in completing matches at the Stade Roland Garros' two biggest courts, Court Philippe Chatrier and Court Suzanne Lenglen, due to the retractable roofs they are equipped with. However, the situation is entirely different on the outside courts, something that has annoyed tennis fans.

On Friday, May 31, three third-round matches (Hubert Hurkacz vs Denis Shapovalov, Grigor Dimitrov vs Zizou Bergs, and Felix Auger-Aliassime vs Ben Shelton) had to be suspended due to rain. The matches are slated to be completed on Saturday, June 1.

The contest between Auger-Aliassime and Shelton assumes particular significance, as the winner of the matchup will go on to face Carlos Alcaraz, who is one of the favorites to win the French Open this year. Alcaraz came out on top against Sebastian Korda in the pair's third-round match on Court Philippe Chatrier. The Spaniard now has a full day to recover, which will not be the case for either Auger-Aliassime or Shelton.

One set of fans on X (formerly Twitter) wondered of ways the French Open could be concluded amid daily rain delays and disruptions.

"If this year was 2014 - no roofs in RG - this tournament would take a month to finish," wrote one fan.

"The only way play can continue this Roland Garros," another fan commented, followed by a GIF showing a man playing tennis on a waterlogged court.

"It's about time Roland Garros builds some retractable tents over these courts. This is not fair to lower-seeded players who don't get to have the certainty and continuity to play on the courts with retractable roofs," another fan wrote, citing the unfair advantage that players scheduled to play on the courts with retractable roofs are getting.

Another set of fans vented their frustrations at this year's edition of the claycourt Major for its stop-and-start nature.

"This is getting annoying and embarrassing," one fan wrote.

"This Roland Garros truly been terrible," commented another fan.

"Another day... Another rain delay at Roland Garros...What a rough week it's been. Good bounce back to this 2nd set for Shapovalov. Has to even things up vs Hurkacz," weighed in another fan.

French Open 2024 schedule expected to get back on track from Monday, June 3

Stade Roland Garros' Court 7 with rain covers on during the 2024 French Open

The 2024 French Open schedule so far has been greatly impacted by the daily rains, and the weather forecast suggests that the wet spell in Paris is likely to continue until Sunday, June 2.

However, from Monday, June 3 onwards, the Parisian skies are expected to clear up, which should ensure that the second week of the claycourt Major plays out according to schedule.

The second week though, should see temperatures in Paris rise. Currently, the maximum temperature is hovering around 18°C while the minimum is somewhere around 10°C. However, come the second week, the maximum temperature is expected to go as high as 23°C and the minimum temperature should hover somewhere around 13°C.