Curfew lifted to allow French fans to watch end of Djokovic-Nadal epic

The 5,000 fans attending the French Open semifinal between Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal have been allowed to stay in the stadium in spite of the nationwide coronavirus curfew starting at 11 p.m.

After Djokovic moved ahead 2-1 on sets, a stadium announcement said that following talks with French authorities the fans would be allowed to stay until the end of the match.

Large swathes of fans previously warned with loud chants of “We won’t leave!” to show they did not intend to leave the premises.

Shouts of “Step down, Forget!” referring to tournament director Guy Forget, could also be heard before the announcement.

Once the fans understood they would be allowed to stay, the atmosphere radically changed. They rendered an enthusiastic version of France’s national anthem, “La Marseillaise," while some in the stadium thanked French president Emmanuel Macron for the move.