Roland Garros and the story of the world's greatest clay court Grand Slam
The French Open — officially known as Roland Garros after the Parisian stadium complex where it is held — is one of the four Grand Slam tennis tournaments and the sport's premier clay court event. Held annually in late May and early June in the 16th arrondissement of Paris, Roland Garros brings together the world's finest players to compete on the sport's slowest and most physically demanding surface.
Unlike the faster hard courts of the Australian Open and US Open, or the low-bounce grass at Wimbledon, red clay rewards heavy topspin, extraordinary endurance, and the ability to construct long grinding rallies. Matches typically run longer here than anywhere else in Grand Slam tennis, making Roland Garros as much a test of mental stamina as of raw talent.
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1891
Year the French Championships were first held
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Red Clay
Crushed brick surface — the slowest Grand Slam surface
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Paris
Stade Roland Garros — 16th arrondissement
A Century of History
From a French members-only championship to the world's most prestigious clay court event
The tournament began in 1891 as the French Championships, restricted exclusively to members of French tennis clubs. That changed in 1925 when the event opened to international players and relocated to Stade Roland Garros — named for the pioneering French aviator who made the first solo flight across the Mediterranean Sea in 1913, and was killed in aerial combat on October 5, 1918, just 37 days before the Armistice ending World War I.
1891
The French Championships first held — open only to French club members.
1925
Tournament opens to all nations and moves to Stade Roland Garros.
1928
Stadium built and officially named Roland Garros for a Davis Cup tie against the USA.
1968
The Open Era begins — professionals allowed to compete alongside amateurs.
1983
Yannick Noah becomes the last Frenchman to win the men's singles title.
2020
Court Chatrier's retractable roof debuts; tournament postponed to October due to COVID-19.
Legends of the Clay
The players who defined greatness at Roland Garros
No tournament has produced a dynasty comparable to Rafael Nadal's at Roland Garros — 14 titles across 18 years. Among women, Chris Evert's seven titles (1974–1986) remain the all-time record. In the modern era, Iga Świątek's dominance on Paris clay has drawn inevitable comparisons with the greatest clay court players in history.
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Rafael Nadal
Men's all-time record — 2005 to 2022
14
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Chris Evert
Women's all-time record — 1974 to 1986
7
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Björn Borg
Men's singles — 1974–75, 1978–1981
6
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Steffi Graf
Women's singles — 1987 to 1996
6
The Courts of Roland Garros
Court Philippe-Chatrier (the main stadium, seating approximately 15,000) is named after the French tennis administrator who served as ITF president from 1977 to 1991. Court Suzanne Lenglen honors the legendary 1920s French champion. Court Simonne Mathieu, completed in 2019, sits within the historic Serres d'Auteuil botanical greenhouse complex — one of the most architecturally distinctive courts in professional tennis. All courts are surfaced in terre battue — crushed brick from Normandy — resurfaced fresh each year before the tournament.
Frequently Asked Questions
The French Open is played on red clay — a layered surface made from crushed brick mixed with white limestone. The clay is sourced primarily from Normandy, France. Slower than hard courts or grass, it produces a higher bounce and longer rallies. Courts are resurfaced each year before the tournament begins.
Rafael Nadal holds the men's record with 14 singles titles (2005–2022). In the women's draw, Chris Evert holds the all-time record with 7 titles (1974–1986).
Roland Garros (1888–1918) was a pioneering French aviator who became the first person to fly solo across the Mediterranean Sea on September 23, 1913. He was killed in aerial combat on October 5, 1918 — 37 days before the Armistice. The stadium built in 1928 for a Davis Cup tie against the United States was named in his honor.
The French Open runs for approximately two weeks in late May and early June, at the peak of the clay court season. Paris weather can be cold and rainy in late spring, affecting how the clay plays from day to day.
Terre battue is the French term for the clay surface at Roland Garros. It translates literally as "beaten earth" — referring to the compacted, layered surface of crushed brick and limestone used on all Roland Garros courts.
The men's trophy is La Coupe des Mousquetaires (The Musketeers' Cup), named after the "Four Musketeers" — René Lacoste, Henri Cochet, Jean Borotra, and Jacques Brugnon — who dominated Davis Cup tennis in the late 1920s. The women's trophy is La Coupe Suzanne Lenglen.
The first Open Era French Open was won by Ken Rosewall of Australia in the men's draw and Nancy Richey of the United States in the women's draw. The Open Era began in 1968 when all four Grand Slams opened their draws to professional players for the first time.
Yannick Noah won the men's singles in 1983, defeating Mats Wilander — the last French man to win the title. His victory came 37 years after the previous French men's champion, Marcel Bernard, who won in 1946. French fans have been waiting ever since.
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