C’est la vie can only get Roland Garros so far

The phrase c’est la vie seems from the outside as the most commonly used words in the offices of the Federation Francaise de Tennis (FFT) in the year 2020, and with the lack of Covid-19 provisions being thrust into the forefront of tennis media, it is a term that must be left behind for the next three weeks.

Coronavirus has caused a suspension of sport in France? C’est la vie, let’s move the tournament dates without telling anyone.

The Novak Djokovic led Adria Tour became a Covid-19 cess pool with full crowds and cases rising in the country? C’est la vie we want crowds anyway.

The USTA has organised a near impenetrable bubble that only created one case? C’est la vie let’s make our rules but not enforce them.

We might not be able to showcase our new roof on Court Philippe Chatrier this year? C’est la vie we will blindly progress anyway.

Five players have been omitted from the French Open qualifying event beginning this week, including Bosnia and Herzegovina’s Damir Dzhumhur, former World No.33 Denis Istomin, Ernesto Escobedo, Pedka Kristin and Bernabé Zapatadue to two of the aforementioned players returning positive tests, while the other three have been deemed close contacts, including Dzhumhur, who’s coach has been struck down with the virus.

“Unfortunately, my coach Petar Popović tested positive this morning,” he said on his Instagram story.

“That’s why I can’t play at Roland Garros and I don’t have a chance to compete.

“He didn’t get a chance to do a second test and we’re sure he was false positive because my coach has antibodies.

“I’m disappointed, but I can’t change my mind and I have to move on.”

The real question to this whole issue is, after all of the shortcuts that the FFT has seemed to take, are we really surprised this has happened?

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The Coronavirus disaster comes as no surprise after shocking images have been plastered all over the world regarding the lack of care throughout this month’s Tour de France, which saw riders mobbed by fans as is traditional in the mountains. It shouldn’t have been the case in 2020, especially the baffling images of the riders ascending the Col de la Loze towards the end of the race.

Throughout the pandemic Paris has a ratio of one in every 241 people contracting the disease according to The New York Times Data, whilst the country itself recorded 13,498 new cases on the 19th of September. Australian star Daria Gavrilova has given an alarming indication to the state of affairs in the European nation on her Twitter.

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In the most recent scathing assessment of the tournament, American World No.230 Noah Rubin has launched a sensational attack on his podcast ‘Behind The Racquet’.

“It’s been interesting. There were a few things the US Open did that I did not agree with. But with that being said they were very organised with the rest of the protocol,” Rubin said.

“For the French right now, it seemed very unusual. For starters, you didn’t get a test as soon as you walked into the bubble,

“So you had players show up on Wednesday and actually hit on site that day, went out to dinner in Paris then got a test on Thursday and were in the bubble for 24 hours.

“You’re looking at it, and you look at different stuff and you’re like that doesn’t make that much sense to me.”

Rubin continued to express his dismay at the fact that players participating in lead up events in Hamburg and Strasbourg will only arrive at Roland Garros on Monday, and play within two days, something the US was extremely strict with.

Rubin believes that the players playing in these tournaments should be doing at their own peril, and that success at these events should come at a cost of missing the French Open if they are unable to test and quarantine properly.

“It’s not a bubble at all,” he added.

“We know how long Covid takes to get into a system or test positive at times. For someone to come within 48 hours of their first round match, you’re rolling the dice a little bit.”

The warning signs were there from the get go, when the FFT announced that the tournament dates would be shifted without mentioning it to any of tennis’ other key stakeholders. To make matters worse players only found out on social media, Naomi Osaka and Vasek Pospisil were key figures in voicing their disapproval.

In April, German Tennis Federation Vice President Dirk Hordorff mentioned to French Publication l’Equipe that he feels that FFT president Bernard Giudicelli made the move for his own self interest to hold his title.

“This is not the French way of doing things, it’s Bernard Giudicelli’s way of doing things,” he said.

“I believe he panicked because of the elections coming up [in February 2021] and wanted to score some points on his opponent.

“He hoped to have the ITF on his side, but now he is alone against the rest of the world.”

If he was alone then, Giudicelli remains it now. The French Open and FFT receiving criticism from all directions for the laissez faire attitude to Covid and the c’est la vie approach to this whole pandemic.

It has quite frankly been disgraceful so far, but let’s hope the tennis is as good as it was in New York and that the narratives are as wonderful.

Knowing the French luck this year however, the Chatrier roof might malfunction, but c’est la vie.