Security top priority at French Open

The French Open got under way at leafy Roland Garros on Sunday with security ramped up in the aftermath of the November terror attacks in Paris and with low-key fare on the playing schedule.

Storylines of Novak Djokovic chasing an elusive first title at the gruelling claycourt tournament and Serena Williams looking to equal Steffi Graf’s modern-day record of 22 Grand Slam singles titles will have to wait.

The first challenge for organisers is to keep the daily crowds of 30,000 fans safe and sound, a task which was fairly straightforward until last year when another of the city’s showpiece sports venues, the Stade de France, was targeted by suicide bombers.

“Security is at the heart of our priorities and it will be reinforced,” said Guy Forget, the former player and Davis Cup winner who was appointed as tournament director only in February.

“There will be a double security perimeter with only three entry points. We cannot afford to take the slightest risk.”

The authorities have been plagued with security breaches in recent years, although all incidents were harmless in the context of the current era.