Serbia's Novak Djokovic plays a shot against Spain's Rafael Nadal in the final match of the French Open tennis tournament at the Roland Garros stadium in Paris, France, Sunday, Oct. 11, 2020. (AP Photo/Christophe Ena)

This year's French Open has been postponed by a week due to the COVID-19 pandemic and will begin on May 30, the French Tennis Federation (FFT) said on Thursday.

The claycourt Grand Slam, which was postponed by four months last year and took place in front of limited crowds, will finish on June 13, two weeks before the expected start of Wimbledon.

The postponement is set to have an impact on the ATP and WTA calendars, especially on the grasscourt season with tournaments scheduled to start on June 7 in s'Hertogenbosch (WTA and ATP) Stuttgart (ATP) and Nottingham (WTA).

FFT President Gilles Moreton said it had made the decision after consulting with public authorities, the governing bodies of international tennis, and its partners and broadcasters.

It hoped the delay would let them welcome more fans on the grounds than last year, when only 1,000 were allowed at Roland Garros every day.

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French Open postponed to May 30 amid COVID-19 crisis

The claycourt Grand Slam, which was postponed by four months last year and took place in front of limited crowds, will finish on June 13, two weeks before the expected start of Wimbledon.

Serbia's Novak Djokovic plays a shot against Spain's Rafael Nadal in the final match of the French Open tennis tournament at the Roland Garros stadium in Paris, France, Sunday, Oct. 11, 2020. (AP Photo/Christophe Ena)

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