One thing that has changed at Roland Garros in the last couple of season is the ready availability of beer. Where once you had to queue up at the bars, there are now self-service taps on the concourses, and mobile vendors carrying booze around in backpacks.
Even last year, at least three players complained about the boorish behaviour of the French fans, with Daria Kastakina saying: “Leaving Paris with a very bitter feeling. Yesterday I was booed for just being respectful on my opponent’s position not to shake hands… Be better, love each other. Don’t spread hate.”
Meanwhile, Goffin was back in action on Thursday, losing to Germany’s Alexander Zverev in straight sets. With no French player on show in this second-round meeting, there were no repeats of the wild behaviour that caused the original fuss on Tuesday night. But Goffin said that he had received a positive response to his comments.
“I don’t know how many people and how many players came to me and were on my side,” Goffin explained. “Everybody was, like, ‘OK, what you said is great, I agree.’ Everybody is behind me, so I’m really surprised.”
As for the alcohol ban, Goffin said “Hopefully it’s good what Amélie did because if they continue like that … you never know if they’re going to come with firecrackers. Look at the fans in football. I don’t think this is what we want here in the world of tennis.
“The most important thing is to try to encourage the players we like. But then saying things against the players you don’t like is not really part of the ethics for the fans I think.”
The new directive was apparent during Novak Djokovic’s match against Roberto Carballes Baena with umpire Nico Helwerth telling one noisy spectator he would be asked to leave if he continued.
Djokovic said: “I understand that, you know, a player like Goffin the other day reacted, because I have experienced quite a few times those particular situations.
“So I support a player standing up, you know, against people who are disrespecting and heckling him. It’s not always possible, you know, to tolerate.”
And the Czech player Katerina Siniakova, who lost a deciding-set tie-break to France’s Chloe Paquet after an intense battle, also backed Mauresmo’s decision. “It was definitely loud,” Siniakova said. “Every player understands that they are supporting French player, but I think they should be respectful of other player, and sometimes I am missing this. So I agree [with Mauresmo].”