French Open facts for kids

The French Open (also known as Roland-Garros) is a famous tennis tournament held every year in Paris, France. It's organized by the French Tennis Federation at a place called Stade Roland Garros. This tournament is the second of the four biggest tennis events each year, known as Grand Slams. It happens after the Australian Open and before Wimbledon and the US Open. The French Open started way back in 1891, but it became a Grand Slam event in 1925.

The tournament usually kicks off in late May and lasts for two weeks. Both the tournament and the stadium are named after a French pilot hero, Roland Garros.

The French Open is special because it's the top clay court championship in the world. It's the only Grand Slam tournament played on this type of surface. Clay courts make the ball slower and bounce higher. This means players need a lot of physical strength and endurance. Many people think it's the most physically demanding tournament in tennis.

Quick facts for kids
French Open

Official website: http://rolandgarros.com
Founded	1891; 134 years ago (1891)
Editions	124 (2025) 95 Grand Slam events (since 1925)
Location	Paris France
Venue	Stade Roland Garros (since 1928)
Surface	Clay – outdoors (1908–present) Sand/Clay – outdoors (1892–1907) Grass – outdoors (1891)
Prize money	€56,352,000 (2025)
Men's
Draw	S (128Q) / 64D (16Q)
Current champions	Carlos Alcaraz (singles) Marcel Granollers Horacio Zeballos (doubles)
Most singles titles	Rafael Nadal (14)
Most doubles titles	Roy Emerson (6)
Women's
Draw	S (128Q) / 64D (16Q)
Current champions	Coco Gauff (singles) Sara Errani Jasmine Paolini (doubles)
Most singles titles	Chris Evert (7)
Most doubles titles	Martina Navratilova (7)
Mixed doubles
Draw	32
Current champions	Sara Errani Andrea Vavassori
Most titles (male)	Ken Fletcher / Jean-Claude Barclay (3)
Most titles (female)	Margaret Court (4)
Grand Slam
Australian Open French Open Wimbledon US Open
Last completed
2025 French Open

History of the French Open

The tournament is officially called Internationaux de France de Tennis in French. But everyone usually calls it Roland-Garros or the French Open in English.

Early Years of the Tournament

The French Championships started in 1891. At first, only tennis players who were members of French clubs could compete. The very first winner was H. Briggs from Britain. The women's singles tournament began in 1897. Mixed doubles were added in 1902, and women's doubles in 1907. The tournament was not held from 1915 to 1919 because of World War I.

In 1925, the French Championships became open to all amateur players from around the world. This is when it became a major championship. It was played on clay courts at different locations before finding its permanent home.

Moving to Roland Garros Stadium

After four famous French tennis players, known as the "Four Musketeers", won the Davis Cup in America in 1927, France decided to build a new tennis stadium. This was to defend the cup in 1928. The new stadium was named Stade de Roland Garros after the World War I pilot hero. The French International Championships moved there on May 24, 1928, and it has been held there ever since.

During World War II, the tournament was not held in 1940. From 1941 to 1945, unofficial tournaments took place at the same venue. In 1968, the French Championships became the first Grand Slam tournament to allow both amateur and professional players to compete. This was called the "Open Era."

Since 1981, new awards have been given out. These include the Prix Orange for good sportsmanship, the Prix Citron for strong character, and the Prix Bourgeon for the year's most exciting new player. Since 2006, the tournament has started on a Sunday, with 12 singles matches. Also, since 2007, men and women have received equal prize money in all rounds.

In 2022, a new tiebreaker rule was introduced for all four Grand Slams. If the final set is tied at 6-6, players now play a 10-point tiebreaker. This change was made to make the rules more consistent across all major tournaments. The 2024 men's final was notable because it was the first time since 2004 that none of the "Big Three" (Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, or Novak Djokovic) were in the final.

Stadium Upgrades

Court Philippe Chatrier during the 2013 French Open

For many years, there were talks about building a roof over the main stadium because matches were often delayed by rain. In 2011, it was decided that the tournament would stay at its current location, but the venue would be expanded and improved.

The expansion project included building a new stadium next to the historic Auteuil greenhouses. It also involved upgrading older stadiums and the tournament village. There were some legal challenges that delayed the work for several years. However, construction finally began after the 2018 tournament.

The main court, Court Philippe-Chatrier, received a new retractable roof. A new 5,000-seat court, Court Simonne-Mathieu, was also opened. This new court is special because it's built within a greenhouse design. These improvements have been well-received by players and fans. In 2020, the tournament was postponed to late September and early October due to the COVID-19 pandemic. It was the first time the roof on Philippe-Chatrier was used. Floodlights were also installed, allowing for night matches. In 2021, the tournament returned to its usual late May and early June schedule.

Clay Court Characteristics

Composition of the courts

The French Open has been the only major tennis tournament played on clay courts since 1978. Clay courts make the ball slow down and bounce higher compared to grass courts or hard courts. This means that players who rely on powerful serves or hitting the ball and rushing to the net (serve-and-volleyers) don't have as much of an advantage. For example, Pete Sampras, who had a huge serve and won 14 Grand Slam titles, never won the French Open. His best result was reaching the semi-finals in 1996.

On the other hand, players whose style of play is better suited for these bouncier surfaces, like Rafael Nadal, Björn Borg, Chris Evert, and Justine Henin, have had great success at this tournament.

What are Clay Courts Made Of?

Clay courts are made of several layers:

• Red brick dust on top.
• Crushed white limestone.
• Clinker (a type of coal residue).
• Crushed gravel.
• Drain rock at the very bottom.

Trophies, Money, and Points

Rafael Nadal holding the Coupe des Mousquetaires in 2006

The beautiful trophies given to the winners have been made by a famous Parisian jewelry company, Mellerio dits Meller, since 1953. They are all made of pure silver with detailed designs. Each new singles champion has their name engraved on the base of the trophy. Winners also receive smaller, pure silver copies of the trophies to keep. The original trophies always belong to the French Tennis Federation (FFT).

The trophy for the men's singles winner is called the Coupe des Mousquetaires (The Musketeers' Cup). It's named after the "Four Musketeers" who were famous French tennis players. This trophy weighs 14 kg and is 40 cm tall.

The trophy for the women's singles winner is called the Coupe Suzanne Lenglen (Suzanne Lenglen Cup) since 1979. It's a copy of a cup originally given to the legendary tennis player Suzanne Lenglen.

Prize Money

For the 2025 tournament, the total prize money was €56.352 million. This was an increase of 5.37% compared to the 2024 tournament.

• ¹ Prize money for doubles is per team.

Ranking Points

Players earn points for their world rankings based on how far they go in the tournament. These points are important for their professional careers.

Senior Player Points

Wheelchair Player Points

Junior Player Points

French Open Champions

Past Winners

• Men's singles winners receive the Coupe des Mousquetaires.
• Women's singles winners receive the Coupe Suzanne Lenglen.
• Men's doubles winners receive the Coupe Jacques Brugnon.
• Women's doubles winners receive the Coupe Simone Mathieu.
• Mixed doubles winners receive the Coupe Marcel Bernard.
• You can find a list of all champions here.

Current Champions (2025)

Most Recent Finals (2025)

2025 event	Champion	Runner-up	Score
Men's singles	Carlos Alcaraz	Jannik Sinner	4–6, 6–7(4–7), 6–4, 7–6(7–3), 7–6(10–2)
Women's singles	Coco Gauff	Aryna Sabalenka	6–7(5–7), 6–2, 6–4
Men's doubles	Marcel Granollers Horacio Zeballos	Joe Salisbury Neal Skupski	6–0, 6–7(5–7), 7–5
Women's doubles	Sara Errani Jasmine Paolini	Anna Danilina Aleksandra Krunić	6–4, 2–6, 6–1
Mixed doubles	Sara Errani Andrea Vavassori	Taylor Townsend Evan King	6–4, 6–2

Tournament Records

Rafael Nadal, the all-time record holder in men's singles

Chris Evert, the all-time record holder in women's singles

Record	Era	Player(s)	Count	Years
Men since 1891
Most singles titles	Open Era	Rafael Nadal	14	2005–2008, 2010–2014, 2017–2020, 2022
	Amateur Era	Henri Cochet	4	1926, 1928, 1930, 1932 ● World Hard Court Championships: 1922
	French Championships*	Max Decugis	8	1903–1904, 1907–1909, 1912–1914
Most consecutive singles titles	Open Era	Rafael Nadal	5	2010–2014
	Amateur Era	Frank Parker Jaroslav Drobný Tony Trabert Nicola Pietrangeli	2	1948–1949 1951–1952 1954–1955 1959–1960
	French Championships*	Paul Aymé	4	1897–1900
Most doubles titles	Open Era	Daniel Nestor Max Mirnyi	4	2007 with Mark Knowles, 2010 with Nenad Zimonjić, 2011, 2012 with Max Mirnyi. 2005, 2006 with Jonas Björkman, 2011, 2012 with Daniel Nestor.
	Amateur Era	Roy Emerson	6	1960, 1962 with Neale Fraser, 1961 with Rod Laver, 1963 with Manuel Santana, 1964 with Ken Fletcher, 1965 with Fred Stolle.
	French Championships*	Max Decugis	13	1902–1909, 1911–1914, 1920
Most consecutive doubles titles	Open Era	Daniel Nestor	3	2010–2012
	Amateur Era	Roy Emerson	6	1960–1965
	French Championships*	Maurice Germot	10	1906–1914, 1920
Most mixed doubles titles	Open Era	Jean-Claude Barclay	3	1968, 1971, 1973 with Françoise Dürr.
	Amateur Era	Ken Fletcher	3	1963–1965 with Margaret Court.
	French Championships*	Max Decugis	7	1904–1906, 1908–1909, 1914 and 1920 with Suzanne Lenglen.
Most Championships (singles, doubles & mixed doubles)	Open Era	Rafael Nadal	14	2005–2008, 2010–2014, 2017–2020, 2022 (14 singles)
	French Championships*	Max Decugis	28	1902–1920 (8 singles, 13 doubles, 7 mixed)
Women since 1897
Most singles titles	Open Era	Chris Evert	7	1974–1975, 1979–1980, 1983, 1985–1986
	French Championships*	Suzanne Lenglen	6	1920–1923, 1925–1926 ● World Hard Court Championships: 1914, 1921–23
Most consecutive singles titles	Open Era	Monica Seles Justine Henin Iga Świątek	3	1990–1992 2005–2007 2022–2024
	French Championships*	Jeanne Matthey Suzanne Lenglen	4	1909–1912 1920–1923
Most doubles titles	Open Era	/ Martina Navratilova	7	1975 with Chris Evert, 1982 with Anne Smith, 1984–1985, 1987, 1988 with Pam Shriver, 1986 with Andrea Temesvári.
	French Championships*	Simonne Mathieu	6	1933, 1934 with Elizabeth Ryan, 1936–1937, 1938 with Billie Yorke, 1939 with Jadwiga Jędrzejowska.
Most consecutive doubles titles	Open Era	Martina Navratilova Gigi Fernández	5	1984–1985, 1987–1988 with Pam Shriver, 1986 with Andrea Temesvári. 1991 with Jana Novotná, 1992–95 with Natasha Zvereva.
	French Championships*	Françoise Dürr	5	1967–1971
Most mixed doubles titles	Open Era	Françoise Dürr	3	1968, 1971, 1973 with Jean-Claude Barclay.
	French Championships*	Suzanne Lenglen	7	1914, 1920 with Max Decugis, 1921–1923, 1925, 1926 with Jacques Brugnon.
Most Championships (singles, doubles & mixed doubles)	Open Era	/ Martina Navratilova	11	1974–1988 (2 singles, 7 doubles, 2 mixed)
	French Championships*	Suzanne Lenglen	15	1919–1926 (6 singles, 2 doubles, 7 mixed)
Wheelchair: singles and doubles since 2007, quads since 2019
Most singles titles	Men	Shingo Kunieda	8	2007–2010, 2014, 2015, 2018, 2022
	Women	Esther Vergeer	6	2007–2012
	Quads	Dylan Alcott	3	2019–2021
Most consecutive singles titles	Men	Shingo Kunieda	4	2007–2010
	Women	Esther Vergeer	6	2006–2009
	Quads	Dylan Alcott	3	2019–2021
Most doubles titles	Men	Shingo Kunieda	8	2007–2011, 2013–2015
	Women	Aniek van Koot	9	2010, 2013, 2015, 2018–2022, 2024
	Quads	David Wagner	3	2019–2022
Most consecutive doubles titles	Men	Alfie Hewett Gordon Reid	5	2020–2024 2020–2024
	Women	Diede de Groot Aniek van Koot	5	2018–2022 2018–2022
	Quads	David Wagner	3	2019–2022
Miscellaneous
Unseeded champions	Men	Mats Wilander Gustavo Kuerten Gastón Gaudio	1982 1997 2004
	Women	Margaret Scriven Jeļena Ostapenko Iga Świątek Barbora Krejčíková	1933 2017 2020 2021
Youngest singles champion	Men	Michael Chang	17 years and 3 months (1989)
	Women	Monica Seles	16 years and 6 months (1990)
Oldest singles champion	Men	Novak Djokovic	36 years and 20 days (2023)
	Women	Zsuzsa Körmöczy	33 years and 10 months (1958)

• The French Championships (1891–1924) was only open to members of French clubs. In 1925, it opened to international players. It was later renamed the French Open in 1968 when it allowed professional players to compete with amateurs.

Watching the French Open

Broadcasting in France

In France, you can watch the French Open on France Télévisions and Amazon Prime Video. Prime Video has exclusive rights to the "night sessions." The studio show for France Télévisions is usually set up on a terrace at Court Philippe Chatrier.

Watching in the United States

NBC has been showing the French Open in the U.S. since 1975. In 2007, Tennis Channel started broadcasting many matches. From 2007 to 2015, ESPN2 also showed some morning matches. In 2015, ESPN stopped its coverage. Tennis Channel then decided to show even more of the tournament.

Starting in 2023, NBC began streaming some of its French Open coverage only on its streaming service, Peacock. In June 2024, it was announced that TNT Sports would take over the U.S. broadcast rights starting in 2025. Matches are shown mainly on TNT, with some on TBS and TruTV. All matches are also available to stream on Max.

Watching in the United Kingdom

The BBC used to broadcast the French Open finals every year from 1981 to 2011. From 2012 to 2021, ITV4 showed the tournament in the UK. Eurosport started broadcasting it in 1989. As of 2022, Eurosport (which will become TNT Sports from 2025) has the exclusive rights to show the tournament in the UK.

Watching in India

In India, Star Sports used to have the exclusive rights. However, Sony Pictures Sports Network acquired the broadcast rights from 2022 through 2024.

Ball Boys and Girls

For the 2024 French Open, 280 "ramasseurs de balles" (which means "ball gatherers") were chosen for the tournament. These ball boys and girls are usually between 11 and 16 years old. They wear matching Lacoste shirts and shorts. They are selected through an application process open to those licensed by the French Tennis Federation. In 2023, about 4,000 young people from across France applied. Once chosen, they receive special training in the weeks before the event.

See also

In Spanish: Torneo de Roland Garros para niños

Lists of champions

• List of French Open champions (all events)
  • List of French Open men's singles champions
  • List of French Open women'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
• List of French Open singles finalists during the Open Era, records and statistics

Other Grand Slam tournaments

• Australian Open
• Wimbledon
• US Open