Once a year, Paris hosts the French Open tennis championship, also known as Roland Garros . It is a prestigious two-week tennis tournament held at the Stade Roland Garros, named after Eugène Adrien Roland-Georges Garros, a French aviation pioneer who fought as a fighter pilot in World War I.
The French Open tennis tournament begins each year in May (in 2023, the competition will take place from May 28 to June 11). Roland Garros is one of the four Grand Slam tennis tournaments held each year (apart from France, they are held in Australia, the United States, and England), and is the second chronologically held each year, after the Australian Open. It is the only Grand Slam played on clay courts. In fact, until 1975, Roland Garros was the only Grand Slam not played on grass.
The clay courts at Roland Garros mean that the ball bounces higher but has a slower speed. In addition, the men's tennis matches are best-of-five sets. All of this makes Roland Garros the most physically demanding tennis tournament in the world. The matches at Roland Garros tend to be long and dramatic, and even the best players in the world have a hard time winning this tournament.
The history of Roland Garros
The first French Tennis Championship was held in 1891, but at that time it was open only to Frenchmen. The first women's singles match was played in 1897 – only 4 women participated in this tournament. Mixed doubles was added in 1907. During World War I, from 1915 to 1919, no tournament was held.
In 1925, the tournament was opened to all amateur tennis players in the world, and was defined as a significant championship. In 1968, the French Open became an official open, for both amateur and professional tennis players.
Over the years, there have been many complaints that matches at Roland Garros have been taking too long, partly due to rain interruptions. After many years of discussions, plans and cancellations, the stadium was renovated, a new 5,000-seat court was opened and a retractable roof was added to another court.
The clay courts at the stadium are not actually made of clay . They are made of a mixture of red brick dust, coal and limestone residue, gravel and rocks. These unique courts eliminate the advantage of players with a strong serve (serb), because the ball does not bounce as hard as on hard courts or grass. Therefore, even excellent tennis players have failed to win this tournament. For example, Pete Sampras, who won 14 Grand Slam titles over the years, has never won the French Open, and his best achievement in the tournament was a semi-final, in 1996. John McEnroe, Jimmy Connors, Lleyton Hewitt, Stefan Edberg, Boris Becker and Martina Hingis have also failed in their attempts to win Roland Garros.
On the other hand, players like Rafael Nadal, Bjorn Borg, Ivan Lendl and Chris Evert have had impressive successes at this tournament. However, only a few male tennis players have managed to win both Roland Garros and Wimbledon – Rod Laver, Bjorn Borg, Andre Agassi, Rafael Nadal and of course Roger Federer.
The tournament trophies are made by Malerio Dits Meller, a famous Parisian jewelry design house. They are made of pure silver with exquisite and intricate decorations on both sides. The winners' names are engraved on the trophy, and they receive a replica of it, made of pure silver, which they can take with them.
The trophy awarded to the winner of the men's singles tournament is called the Coupe des Mousquetaires – the Musketeers' Cup. But it's not about the historical Musketeers, but about four legendary French tennis players who led France to incredible achievements in the field in the 20s and 30s, including winning 20 Grand Slam singles titles.
The women's singles trophy is called the Coupe Suzanne Lenglen and its current design was first awarded in 1986. It is a replica of a trophy awarded to the successful French tennis player Suzanne Lenglen in Nice. Lenglen was active in the 20s and 30s, and died at the age of 39. She was ranked number one in the world for six consecutive years – from 1921 to 1926.
The prizes at Roland Garros are impressive, as befits such a prestigious tennis tournament. Reaching the quarterfinals earns 380 euros. Those who reach the finals will receive 1.1 million euros, and the winner of the singles (men's or women's) receives 2.2 million euros. The total prize money for the tournament in 2022 was 43.6 million euros. It was only in 2007 that the women's and men's winning prizes were equal. In fact, Roland Garros was the last Grand Slam to equalize the prizes.
Roland Garros Stadium
Roland Garros is an impressive complex of tennis courts and covers an area of 137 hectares. It is located in western Paris, on the southern edge of the Bois de Boulogne in the 16th arrondissement . The northern boundary of the triangular structure is Avenue Porte d'Auteuil and the A13 motorway, while to the south it borders Boulevard d'Auteuil. Its eastern boundary is Avenue Gordon Bennett.
Roland Garros has 20 courts, including 3 large-capacity stadiums, and also has a large bar and restaurant complex (Les Jardins de Roland Garros). Also located inside Roland Garros is the Tenniseum, the French tennis museum, established in 2003, which mainly houses photographs and multimedia presentations on tennis, as well as about 100 historical rackets from the 20s to the present day.
In the early 20th century, France was a major force in world tennis, largely thanks to the Four Musketeers and Suzanne Langlen (whose trophies are now named after them). In 1927, France even defeated the United States in the Davis Cup, largely thanks to the Four Musketeers. A year later, the stadium was built.
During 1939, shortly after the outbreak of World War II, the stadium was used as a detention camp for various Europeans and Russians, whom the French suspected of being communists.
The pitches at the stadium
Philippe Cartier Court – Built in 1928 as the main court of Roland Garros, it is still the star of the complex. It has 15,225 seats and now also features a retractable roof.
Suzanne Langlen Field – Built in 1994 and seats 10,068. A bronze statue of Langlen is located at the east entrance to the field.
Simone Mathieu Court – The newest court in the stadium, built in 2019 and with a capacity of 5,000, it is named after a French tennis player from the 1930s, who is also remembered as a leader of the French underground during World War II.
The historic No. 1 Court , sometimes called the “Bullring” because of its round shape, was a favorite of tennis fans because it was small and allowed for close-up viewing of the action on the court. Unfortunately, the court was demolished in 2019 and replaced with a complex that allows viewing of games on large video screens.
French Open Tennis Tickets
Tickets can be purchased on the official Roland Garros website or on various websites that sell tickets for sporting events. The general public sale usually begins in March. You can sign up to receive an email when the sale begins.
Tennis tickets aren't exactly cheap, especially not for a Grand Slam tournament, but the prices aren't that bad, especially if you're a tennis fan in Paris during the tournament. In 2022, a full-day ticket to the main court cost around €230, but you could find tickets to the Langlen court for as little as €100. There are also cheaper tickets, for less central matches, which sometimes take place late in the evening, and their prices are a few dozen euros.
Guided tour of the Roland Garros stadium
Want to see the legendary stadium? Join a guided tour of Roland Garros , and you’ll get a unique look behind the scenes, including the players’ reception building, the room where they prepare for the match, and even the ball collection area. The tour includes a visit to the new court, Philippe-Chatrier Court, which is considered an architectural masterpiece and has a stunning retractable roof. And of course, you’ll get a rich historical overview of tennis legends over the years.
For more information about the tour
How to get to Roland Garros?
The nearest metro stations are Porte d'Auteuil (line 10) and Michel-Ange–Molitor (lines 9 and 10).
Buses to Roland Garros: lines 22, 32, 52, 62, 72, 123, 241 and PC1.
During the tournament, in May and June, there is a special stadium taxi service at the southeast corner of the complex, at the corner of Avenue Robert Schuman and Auteuil.
If you are interested in living near the stadium during your stay in Paris, you are welcome to read the article in which I compiled recommended hotels in the 16th arrondissement of Paris or alternatively – apartments in the 16th arrondissement.
Interesting records from Roland Garros
Rafael Nadal, who excels on clay courts and is currently considered the undisputed king of this tournament, has won the most titles at Roland Garros over the years – no less than 14 wins. He also holds the record for consecutive wins at the tournament – 5 wins from 2010-2014.
Among women, Chris Evert holds the most French Open titles – 7 victories.
Monica Seles was the youngest tennis player to ever win this tournament – she did it in 1990, at just 16 years and 6 months old. Serena Williams, a tennis legend like no other, was the oldest woman to win the tournament, at 33 (it happened in 2015).
American tennis player John Isner holds the record for most aces in a tournament over the years – 671 service hits that remained unanswered. Federer is two aces behind him – with 669 such service hits.
Although it is the home tournament of the French, the last French tennis player to win it was Yannick Noah, in 1983, and the last French tennis player to win was Marie Pierce, in 2000.
The longest match played at Roland Garros lasted 6 hours and 33 minutes, and it happened in 2004. It was a match between Fabrice Santoro and Arnaud Clement, in the first round of the tournament. It was also the longest match in history, until the record was broken at Wimbledon in 2010, when John Isner defeated Nicolas Mahut in a match that lasted 11 hours.
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