The French Open,[lower-alpha 1][lower-alpha 2] known originally as the Internationaux de France,[3] is an annual tennis tournament created in 1891 and played on outdoor red clay courts at the Stade Roland Garros in Paris.[4] The women's singles event began in 1897.[1]
Location | Paris France |
---|---|
Venue | Stade Roland Garros |
Governing body | French Tennis Federation |
Created | 1897 (established) 1925 (Grand Slam event) |
Editions | 121 events (2023) 93 Grand Slam events (since 1925) 56 events (Open Era) |
Surface | Clay (red) (1897–present) Sand (1897–1908, when held at Île de Puteaux) |
Prize money | € 2,100,000 (2017) |
Trophy | Coupe Suzanne Lenglen |
Website | rolandgarros |
Most titles | |
7: Chris Evert | |
Current champion | |
Iga Świątek (Fourth title) |
History
The French Open is played during two weeks in late May and early June, and has been chronologically the second of the four Grand Slam tournaments of the tennis season since 1987. The event was not held from 1915 to 1919 because of World War I, and after a one-year lapse in 1940, was unofficially held from 1941 to 1945 because of World War II.[2] The national body that organizes this event is the French Tennis Federation (FFT).
The Racing Club de France and the Stade Français of Paris alternated hosting the event before the competition was moved in 1928 to the newly built Stade Roland Garros, where it has been played since. The tournament was reserved for members of French tennis clubs until the first edition open to international players took place in 1925.[5] From 1941 to 1944, the tournament took place under Vichy regime, won two times by Alice Weiwers and once by Simone Iribarne Lafargue, and Raymonde Jones Veber. Those editions are not counted by the FFT in the tournament's history, and were retroactively named Tournoi de France.[2] In 1945, under the Provisional Government of the French Republic, the champion was Lolette Payot. Even if it was organised by the French Lawn Tennis Federation, the 1945 event is also not counted by the FFT in the tournament's history.
The women's singles rules have undergone several changes since the first edition. The event has always been contested in a knockout format. Records show that matches have always been played as the best-of-three sets format. The lingering death best-of-twelve points tie-break was introduced in 1973 for the first two sets.[6]
The champion receives a miniature replica of the Coupe Suzanne Lenglen (Suzanne Lenglen Cup), named after Suzanne Lenglen. In 2010, the winner received prize money of €1,120,000.[7]
In the French National Championship, which was when the tournament was reserved to members of French tennis clubs and French nationals, Adine Masson (1897–1899, 1902–1903) holds the record for most titles in women's singles with five victories. The record for most consecutive titles is four by Jeanne Matthey (1909–1912) and Lenglen (1920–1923), all of whose titles came during the club-members-only era.
In the French International Championships, that came after the tournament opened to international competitors but before the open era, Helen Wills Moody (1928–1930, 1932) holds the record for most titles at four. The record for most consecutive titles during this period is three by Wills Moody (1928–1930) and Hilde Krahwinkel Sperling (1935–1937).[2][6]
During the French Open, since the inclusion of the professional tennis players, the record for most titles is held by Chris Evert with seven (1974–1975, 1979–1980, 1983, 1985–1986). The record for most consecutive titles during the Open Era is three by Monica Seles (1990–1992) and Justine Henin (2005–2007).[2][6]
This event has been won without losing a set in the Open Era by Evonne Goolagong in 1971, Billie Jean King in 1972, Evert in 1974, Steffi Graf in 1988, Arantxa Sánchez Vicario in 1994, Henin in 2006 and 2007, and Iga Świątek in 2020.
Champions
Regular competition |
† Not considered to be a Grand Slam event. A French club members only tournament. |
†† Disputed champions: Not considered to be a Grand Slam event. Not sanctioned or recognised by the FFT[lower-alpha 3]
|
French Championships
![Thumb](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/3/39/Jeanne_Matthey.jpeg/640px-Jeanne_Matthey.jpeg)
![Thumb](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/5f/Suzanne_Lenglen_02.jpg/640px-Suzanne_Lenglen_02.jpg)
![Thumb](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/57/Bundesarchiv_Bild_102-07878%2C_Helen_Wills_Moody.jpg/320px-Bundesarchiv_Bild_102-07878%2C_Helen_Wills_Moody.jpg)
French Open
![Thumb](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/00/Chris_Evert_playing_tennis_at_Camp_David.png/320px-Chris_Evert_playing_tennis_at_Camp_David.png)
![Thumb](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/3/32/Steffi_Graf_08.jpg/160px-Steffi_Graf_08.jpg)
![Thumb](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/db/Justine_Henin_RG2010.jpg/320px-Justine_Henin_RG2010.jpg)
![Thumb](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/6a/Swiatek_RG19_%281%29_%2848199020336%29.jpg/640px-Swiatek_RG19_%281%29_%2848199020336%29.jpg)
Statistics
Multiple champions
Competitions prior to 1925 opened only to French tennis club members and French nationals |
Champions by country
¤ Former country |
Country | Amateur Era | Open Era | All-time | First title | Last title |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
![]() | 29 | 1 | 30 | 1897 | 2000 |
![]() | 14 | 15 | 29 | 1928 | 2015 |
![]() | 4 | 5 | 9 | 1962 | 2019 |
![]() | 7 | 1 | 8 | 1933 | 1976 |
![]() | 4 | 4 | 8 | 1931 | 1999 |
![]() | 0 | 4 | 4 | 2020 | 2024 |
![]() | 0 | 4 | 4 | 2004 | 2014 |
![]() | 0 | 4 | 4 | 2003 | 2007 |
![]() | 0 | 4 | 4 | 1989 | 2016 |
![]() | 0 | 3 | 3 | 1977 | 1991 |
![]() | 0 | 2 | 2 | 1987 | 1988 |
![]() | 0 | 2 | 2 | 1978 | 2018 |
![]() | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1927 | 1927 |
![]() | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1958 | 1958 |
![]() | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1981 | 1981 |
![]() | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1992 | 1992 |
![]() | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1997 | 1997 |
![]() | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2008 | 2008 |
![]() | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2010 | 2010 |
![]() | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2011 | 2011 |
![]() | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2017 | 2017 |
![]() | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2021 | 2021 |
Notes
- Known as the Les Championnats de France (1891–1924) then Les Championnats internationaux de France (1925–1967) during the Amateur Era.[1]
- The tournament entered the Open Era with the 1968 event, when professional players were allowed to compete alongside amateurs.[2]
- Due to World War II, the tournaments held from 1941 to 1945 are not officially recognized by the Fédération Française de Tennis. Consequently, despite being listed by a few sources, the champions from those years are not included in the official statistics. They are listed here as a historical note.[8][1][2][9]
- The tournament was not held from 1915 to 1919 because of World War I.[1]
- No wins by a player from the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland (1801–1922), plus many wins by a player(s) from the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland (1922–present).
- FRG was West Germany, but after unification in 1990 became just Germany (GER).
- Czechoslovakia (TCH, 1918–1992), does not include the totals of Czech Republic (CZE, 1993–present) and Slovakia (SVK, 1993–present).
- Martina Navratilova was born in Czechoslovakia, but competed as an American after the US Open in 1975, having sought asylum in the United States, which made her relinquish her Czechoslovakian citizenship.
- Sue Barker is erroneously listed as an Australian on the trophy.[15]
See also
French Open other competitions
- List of French Open men's singles champions
- List of French Open men's doubles champions
- List of French Open women's doubles champions
- List of French Open mixed doubles champions
Grand Slam women's singles
References
External links
Wikiwand in your browser!
Seamless Wikipedia browsing. On steroids.
Every time you click a link to Wikipedia, Wiktionary or Wikiquote in your browser's search results, it will show the modern Wikiwand interface.
Wikiwand extension is a five stars, simple, with minimum permission required to keep your browsing private, safe and transparent.