2016 French Open: Rain forces additional delays on Monday; Dry conditions in store for Tuesday play

By Becky Elliott, AccuWeather.com Meteorologist

May 23,2016; 8:20PM,EDT

 

 

The 2016 French Open, the second tournament in the series of four that comprise the Grand Slam, kicked off at Roland Garros stadium this week.
Play started with cloudy and soggy conditions on Sunday, forcing play to stop.
Rain continued to fall on Monday, forcing additional delays after only 10 of 32 scheduled matches were completed on Sunday.
The French Open is the only tournament in the Grand Slam system that plays on a clay court, and various weather conditions can have a huge impact. Any amount of rain or moisture can drastically change how the court plays.
Spectators with umbrellas leave the courts as rain interrupted first round matches of the French Open tennis tournament at Roland Garros stadium in Paris, France, Sunday, May 22, 2016. (AP Photo/Christophe Ena)
"If the court is damp and cool, the court plays slower. Tennis balls get heavier and the overall conditions slow down," AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Bernie Rayno said.
They will still play if it's raining, as long as it's light rain, Rayno added.
One of the major players in this tournament is Rafael Nadal, who is vying to be the first player to reach double digits in their French Open titles. Nadal is known to be one of the best clay court tennis players.
Spectators wait for matches to start for the French Open Tennis tournament at the Roland Garros stadium, Monday, May 23, 2016 in Paris. Showers over Paris on Monday have forced the organizers to delay the start of play. (AP Photo/Alastair Grant)
Drier weather is expected on Tuesday. Temperatures will slightly increase to 17 C (63 F), but the sun will make a return, helping to make it feel warmer during the afternoon.
A high of 17 C corresponds to 63 F, while winds of 10-20 km/h equates to 6-12 mph.
Additional dry weather is expected on Wednesday with a high temperature around 19 C (66 F).
The threat for rainfall will return on Thursday and continue into the weekend as daily showers and thunderstorms are in the forecast along with higher temperatures. High temperatures will range from 21-23 C (70-73 F).
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French Open players will have to wait until at least 2018 before weather will no longer have an impact on the clay court, as renovation plans for Roland Garros remain in limbo.
"Its urgent to build a roof by respect for our audience," French Open tournament Director Guy Forget said at a press conference on Monday.
Spain's Rafael Nadal returns in the quarterfinal match of the French Open tennis tournament against Serbia's Novak Djokovic at the Roland Garros stadium, in Paris, France, Wednesday, June 3, 2015. (AP Photo/David Vincent)
Content contributed by AccuWeather Meteorologist Eric Leister