The French Open has been postponed by a week as France enters its 3rd COVID-19 lockdown

• The French Open tennis tournament has been postponed by a week.
• The head of the French Tennis Federation said this could help people attend the event.
• It's now scheduled to begin May 30, after France's third national lockdown is expected to end.

The French Open tennis tournament has been postponed by a week, with organizers hoping the new date will allow more people to attend under eased coronavirus rules.

The tournament is now scheduled to run from May 30 to June 13, after France's third national lockdown is expected to end. The country entered a new lockdown on Saturday, with President Emmanuel Macron hoping that restrictions will lift in mid-May.

Gilles Moretton, the president of the French Tennis Federation, said he was "delighted" that the event would be postponed, the BBC reported.

He said it would "give the health situation more time to improve" and "should optimize our chances of welcoming spectators."

"For the fans, the players and the atmosphere, the presence of spectators is vital for our tournament, the spring's most important international sporting event," he said.

Last year's French Open was also disrupted by the coronavirus pandemic, being moved from May to September.

Shortly after the competition was moved, Wimbledon was canceled for the first time since World War II.

The year's fourth Grand Slam tournament, the US Open, went ahead as planned, though it was held behind closed doors and without numerous high-profile stars including Ashleigh Barty and Rafael Nadal.

The Australian Open in January saw the return of fans; however, the tournament was by no means without problems.

Seventy-two players were forced into a 14-day quarantine just ahead of the tournament after positive coronavirus tests were recorded on three separate inbound flights to Melbourne.

Numerous players then complained about the conditions they were being kept in, leading to fighting on social media between players.