Tennis is a wide-ranging sport, with official contests taking place year-round. So expansive is the tennis tournament schedule that tennis authorities break it into seasons. Some tennis fans (and players) prefer the clay season, while others look forward to the grass or hard court seasons.
As I write this, tennis players around the world train for their best showing at the Stade Roland-Garros. Tennis fans study this Grand Slam event's entry list to see how their favourite players rank, and speculate on their chances of winning. Many aspiring players often search for tennis lessons near me to develop their technique further. Whether a new tennis enthusiast or a seasoned Grand Slam spectator, Superprof delivers this essential 2024 Roland-Garros guide.
What Makes the French Open Special?
Of the four Grand Slam tournament venues, only the Roland-Garros boasts clay courts. These engineering marvels make for a livelier game, but players find it more difficult to return the ball on these clay courts.
As this sample demonstrates, the courts aren't truly made of clay. Instead, they comprise five layers of increasingly larger rock, to permit quick draining.
These courts are one reason why the French Open is special. They demand more preparation and maintenance between matches than hard courts do, for one. Another reason they contribute to the tournament's excitement is the players having to adjust their game.
The balls do not bounce quite as high, nor with the same momentum, as they do on hard courts. For the player returning the ball, this gives them an edge; they have time to position themselves optimally. Footwork is also a skill on clay courts. Players must master sliding on the surface, while still positioning themselves for their shot.
Not every player can be a 'clay court specialist'. For instance, Novak Djokovic is a formidable player on other types of courts, but clay does him in nearly every time. Venus Williams is another stellar player undone by clay. On the flipside, Rafael Nadal and Ashleigh Barty mastered the art and skill of playing on these courts.
All this focus on the courts' composition might leave you wondering if clay is the French Open's only special aspect. By no means is that the case. Everything from the Roland Garros tennis complex to the players that grace these courts make it one of a kind. What else could be special about the French Open, you might wonder?
Discover the French Open's History
In itself, the game of tennis boasts a long history that traces back centuries. This leisure activity's precursor was popular in the 12th Century. The game we know as tennis today took root in the 16th Century.
However, organised tennis is relatively new. Enthusiasts founded the International Tennis Federation (ITF) in 1913, establishing the first official tournaments.
By contrast, French tennis lovers organised their first Championnat de France in 1891. These French Championships allowed only male tennis players who were members of a French tennis club to compete. The Women's Singles championship debuted in 1897. Five years later, this organisation introduced a Mixed Doubles tournament; Women's Doubles premiered two years after that.
These contests played across four tennis facilities around Paris, none of which were called Roland Garros. That built-for-purpose tennis complex with clay courts didn't open until 1928. Four Frenchmen winning the Davis Cup in the US spurred the call for a dedicated tennis tournament facility in France.
The French National Stadium granted the city's tennis authorities a small land parcel. Their only stipulation was that they name the facility after Roland Garros, an aviator and inventor. He as also a member of the National Stadium tennis club, though not an avid player.
Le Stade Roland-Garros hosted the French International Championships in 1928, for the first time. Since then, the Roland Garros tennis complex has been the home of the French Open.
Who Was Roland Garros?
The US and Australian Grand Slam tournaments have straightforward names. They are the US Open and Australian Open, respectively. Likewise, it's easy to understand why the Wimbledon tournament bears that name. These courts abut the London suburb that gave them their name.
The French Open is the only Grand Slam tournament that bears a person's name. As mentioned above, Roland Garros played tennis, but it wasn't his favourite pastime. He preferred cycling, football and rugby, and he loved flying. When the first World War broke out, he rushed to his plane to defend his country by air.
Roland was also ingenious; he invented a mechanism to deflect bullets from his plane's propeller. In 1915, this fighter pilot executed the world's first aerial combat shoot-down, thanks to his innovation. His plane suffered a fuel line malfunction during a subsequent aerial fight, which forced him to land in enemy territory.
He was captured and spent three years as a prisoner of war. After escaping, he took to the skies again. He was shot down one day shy of his 30th birthday. His legacy forms an integral part of French Open's history, as well as advances in aerial combat.
Top Men's Singles Winners
As this article's introduction notes, the French Open is the most physically demanding Grand Slam tournament. Some of today's best tennis players have yet to hit their stride on clay. The challenge isn't simply a matter of fitness and endurance, though.
Tennis players need a specific skill set to succeed on clay. Sliding and stopping at the optimal position is one of the toughest clay court skills to master. Factoring the ball's slower speed into one's playing strategy is important, too.
Players with a track record of wins on this surface are called clay court specialists. They typically excel on clay, racking up more wins than on any other court surface. In Men's Singles, the list of specialists includes Adriano Panatta, who defeated Björn Borg twice, and Juan Carlos Ferrero.
Rafael Nadal is more than a clay court specialist. He is the undisputed King of Clay. He's claimed 14 French Open wins, more than any Men's Singles players in this tournament's history. Rafael will return to Roland Garros in May, despite recovering from an injury sustained at the Australian Open.
His long-time rival, Novak Djokovic, will also play in this tournament. His clay record is far more muted than Nadal's; it lists only three French Open wins. However, Djokovic is currently the top-ranked Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) Men's tennis professional. These rivals may face off once again, to decide this year's French Open Men's Singles winner.
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The Best Women's Singles Players
If Rafael is the King of these courts, then Chris Evert must be the Queen. This retired American tennis legend claimed the French Open Women's Singles trophy seven times. She outpaced French runners-up Suzanne Lenglen and Steffi Graff by one win.
To be fair, Chris' pro tennis career spanned just 17 years. Rafael is on his 23rd year as a professional tennis player. Still, halving his number of wins is a major feat, particularly for the times Chris played in.
The French Open Women's Singles' trophy honours the aforementioned Suzanne Lenglen. She was France's top Women's Singles' champion, making her mark during the Amateur era. By contrast, Steffi Graff, tied with Suzanne for the most wins after Chris Evert, scored all her wins during the Open Era.
Today, Polish tennis sensation Iga Świątek stands poised in the rankings to unseat them all. So far, she's claimed three French Open wins - in 2020, 2022, and again, last year. Like the King and Queen of clay, most of her Grand Slam wins have been at Roland Garros.
The Women's Tennis Association (WTA) ranks Iga at Number One going into this year's tournament. However, the Women's Singles French Open 2024 Grand Slam is by no means already decided.
Iga has fierce competition from the WTA's second-ranked player, Aryna Sabalenka. Coco Gauff returns to the French Open this year, too, but she's never fared well with Iga on the other side of the net.
The Roland Garros 2024 dates run from May 20 to June 9. This year's prize money total stands at €49.6 million. The Men's and Women's Singles winners will each claim €2.3 million, with the rest distributed down the ranks. Rafael Nadal and Iga Świątek claimed top awards for the 2023 French Open; will this year's result be a repeat?
The 2024 French Open Women's Singles tournament promises tennis history in the making. Angelique Kerber and Naomi Osaka returned to the Grand Slam circuit at the just-completed Australian Open. They're set to take their places on Roland Garros' courts.
Unfortunately, we'll miss Karolina Muchova, who is recovering from a wrist injury. Ranked at Number 12, she might have defended her finalist win from last year's Roland-Garros tournament. Her record isn't long enough to count her among the French Open Women's Singles winners. Still, the 2024 French Open promises plenty of tennis action.
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