The French Open commences. - A spectator was ejected from the stands due to obscene language.
During the French Open, a man in the crowd interrupted a tennis match between Angie Kerber (36) and Arantxa Rus (33). During another match, between Jan-Lennard Struff (34) and Alexander Bublik (36), a different spectator loudly disrupted the game. Tournament director Amélie Mauresmo (44) had warned earlier that she would not tolerate such behavior.
At the Kerber match, a Dutch fan's shouting during a service ball was noticed but did not lead to immediate action. However, in the Struff match, a man shouted during the game, and a umpire turned to address him. The audience member was eventually removed by three security guards.
Earlier in the tournament, David Goffin (33) was upset by the disruptive behavior of fans. He even claimed that he had been spat on with a piece of gum. Iga Swiatek (22) also complained about interruptions during her match. The French public is infamous for being unfair towards tennis players.
During her loss against Caroline Garcia (30), Eva Lys (22) was immediately booed when she checked a ball. Mauresmo, a former champion at the Australian Open and Wimbledon, announced that there would be no tolerance for disrespect towards players. Umpires have been instructed to be on the lookout for bad behavior.
Goffin supports the new rules, as he had previously voiced concerns about the environment becoming increasingly hostile. "It's getting more and more like football. Soon there will be fireworks, hooligans, and fighting on the stands," he said.
Additionally, alcohol is now prohibited in the stands. We'll see how this rule interacts with the champagne stand right in front of Court 5.
