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Opponents of French players at the French Open deal with insults and whistling and, yes, even gum

Opponents of French players at the French Open deal with insults and whistling and, yes, even gum

Washington Post28-05-2025
PARIS — In all sports, there are advantages to being at home. At the French Open tennis tournament, being a visitor playing against a French player can feel as though the whole world is against you.
The crowds don't just cheer. They boo , they whistle, they make noise between serves, they hurl insults — and, at least once, even gum — at the locals' opponents. That sort of behavior is why the tournament organizers banned alcohol from the stands last year, a policy still in place.
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