Asked if she "noted a difference in security" this year at the French Open, Spanish player Garbiñe Muguruza "chose to demonstrate by frisking herself thoroughly," according to Christopher Clarey of the N.Y. TIMES. She said, "I sense that there is more focus on it." The new level of scrutiny at Roland Garros is "evident and understandable as France, still in a state of emergency, prepares for two months of sport that also present a major security headache." The European football championship, from June 10 to July 10, "will be the much bigger challenge, with its full stadiums and fan zones nationwide." But the French Open, "nestled among the foliage and red clay on the fringes of the city’s 16th Arrondissement, could also be a target." There are "new checkpoints and policies and a much more visible police presence outside the stadium gates, with the security cordon clearly much wider." French Open Tournament Dir Guy Forget said, "I think you have to have confidence in the professionals. For security questions, we are required to count on the professionals: the prefecture of police, the special forces." Security inside the stadium has "also too often been a concern in recent years, with demonstrations and court intrusions disrupting some players’ concentration and sense of well-being." Last year, on opening day, a fan "blithely stepped over a barrier and onto the main Philippe Chatrier Court to ask Roger Federer to pose for a photograph with him." The timing of this year’s event has "only increased the urgency about security." The French Open, which lasts 15 days and attracts crowds of more than 30,000 daily during the first week, "will be the most significant and extended sporting event in Paris since the terrorist attacks in November that left 137 dead" (N.Y. TIMES, 5/20).
