French Open facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
French Open
(Roland-Garros)

Official website: http://rolandgarros.com
Founded	1891; 134 years ago (1891)
Editions	128 (2024) 94 Grand Slam events (since 1925)
Location	Paris, XVIth arrondissement France
Venue	Stade Roland Garros (since 1928) Societé de Sport de Île de Puteaux, at Puteaux (1891–1894); Tennis Club de Paris, at Auteuil (1895–1908); Société Athlétique de la Villa Primrose at Bordeaux (1909); Croix-Catelan de Racing Club de France at the Bois de Boulogne (1910–1924, 1926); Stade Français at Saint-Cloud (1925, 1927)
Surface	Clay – outdoors (1908–present) Sand – 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

The French Open, also known as Roland-Garros (say: Ro-lon Ga-ross), is a huge tennis competition. It happens every year in Paris, France. The tournament is held at a special place called Stade Roland Garros. The French Tennis Federation organizes this big event.

It is the second of the four most important tennis tournaments in the world. These are called the Grand Slam events. The French Open takes place after the Australian Open and before Wimbledon and the US Open.

The French Open usually starts in late May and lasts for two exciting weeks. The tournament and the stadium are named after Roland Garros. He was a famous French pilot from the early days of flying.

The French Open is the world's top championship played on clay courts. Clay is a special surface made of crushed brick, stone, or shale. It is the only Grand Slam tournament played on clay. Before 1975, it was the only major tournament not played on grass. Playing on clay is very challenging! The ball moves slower and bounces higher than on other surfaces. Men's singles matches can last up to five sets. Because of this, many people think the French Open is the hardest tennis tournament for a player's body.

History of the Tournament

The official French name for the tournament is Internationaux de France de Tennis. This means "French Internationals of Tennis." But most people around the world call it Roland-Garros or simply the French Open.

The tournament started a long time ago in 1891. It was first called the Championnat de France, or the French Championships. Back then, only tennis players who belonged to French clubs could play. The very first winner was a British man named H. Briggs. He lived in Paris and won the final match. Women started playing in their own singles tournament in 1897. Mixed doubles (teams of one man and one woman) were added in 1902. Women's doubles (teams of two women) started in 1907. The tournament did not happen between 1915 and 1919 because of World War I. Until 1924, the tournament was held at a few different places in and around Paris. It was even held once in Bordeaux.

A big change happened in 1925! The French Championships opened up to amateur players from all over the world. It was then recognized as a major championship, like the Grand Slams are today. These international tournaments were played on clay courts.

In 1927, four famous French players called 'The Musketeers' won the Davis Cup. This was a huge deal! So, France decided to build a new tennis stadium to host the Davis Cup defense in 1928. The land for the new stadium was given with one condition. It had to be named after Roland Garros, a French hero pilot from World War I. So, the Stade de Roland Garros was built. The French International Championships moved to this new stadium on May 24, 1928. It has been played there ever since!

During World War II, the official tournament was not held in 1940. From 1941 to 1945, some tennis matches were played at Roland Garros. However, these are not counted as official French Championship wins. For a couple of years after the war (1946 and 1947), the French Championships were played after Wimbledon. This made it the third Grand Slam tournament of the year instead of the second.

A very important year was 1968. The French Championships became the first Grand Slam tournament to become 'open'. This meant that both amateur players (who did not get paid) and professional players (who played for money) could compete together.

Since 1981, some special awards have been given out. The Prix Orange is for good sportsmanship. The Prix Citron is for the player with the most interesting personality. The Prix Bourgeon is for the most exciting new player of the year. Since 2006, the tournament has started on a Sunday, with extra matches. There is also a special charity event called Benny Berthet day just before the tournament begins. A big step for fairness happened in 2007. The tournament started giving equal prize money to men and women in all rounds.

For a while, there was talk of moving the tournament to a new place. But instead, they decided to make Roland Garros bigger and better. So, it is still at its historic home. In 2022, a new rule for tiebreakers in the final set was introduced. If the score in the last set reaches six games all, players play a 10-point tiebreaker. This makes the rules more consistent across all Grand Slam tournaments. The 2024 tournament was interesting. For the first time since 2004, none of the famous 'Big Three' players were in the men's final.

Improving the Stadium

Court Philippe Chatrier, the main court, during the 2013 French Open.

For many years, people wanted a roof over the main court. This was because rain often delayed matches. So, plans were made to build one. In 2011, they decided to keep the tournament at Roland Garros and improve it. The plan included building a new court near some historic greenhouses. It also aimed to make other courts and areas better.

Some groups were worried about the environment, which caused delays. But finally, after the 2018 tournament, the building work started. The main court, Court Philippe-Chatrier, got new seats and a retractable roof. This roof can open and close. A brand new 5,000-seat court, named Court Simonne-Mathieu, was also opened. Players and fans have really liked these improvements.

The 2020 tournament was special. It was the first time the roof on Court Philippe-Chatrier was used. Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, it was moved to September/October. It also had fewer fans. Floodlights were added to the courts, so matches could be played at night for the first time. By 2021, the tournament was back to its usual time in late May and early June.

Why Clay Courts Are Special

This shows the different layers that make up a clay court.

Since 1978, the French Open is the only Grand Slam tournament played on clay. Clay courts are very different from grass courts or hard courts. On clay, the ball slows down after it hits the ground. It also bounces up higher.

This makes it tricky for players who rely on super-fast serves. It is also harder for players who like to rush to the net (called serve-and-volleyers). It is harder for them to win easily on clay. For instance, Pete Sampras was a great champion with a powerful serve. He won 14 Grand Slams, but he never won the French Open. His best was reaching the semi-finals in 1996. Many other famous players like John McEnroe, Venus Williams, and Andy Murray have won other Grand Slams but never the French Open. It is a real challenge!

However, players who are masters of playing on slower, high-bouncing surfaces have done incredibly well here. Think of legends like Rafael Nadal, Björn Borg, Ivan Lendl, Mats Wilander, Justine Henin, and Chris Evert.

Winning both the French Open on clay and Wimbledon on fast grass in the same year is super hard. Only a few amazing players have done it in the Open Era (since 1968). For men, these include Rod Laver, Jan Kodeš, Björn Borg, Andre Agassi, Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer, Novak Djokovic, and Carlos Alcaraz. For women, players like Evonne Goolagong Cawley, Margaret Court, Billie Jean King, Chris Evert, Martina Navratilova, Steffi Graf, Serena Williams, Maria Sharapova, Garbiñe Muguruza, Simona Halep, and Ashleigh Barty have achieved this. Björn Borg even did this incredible 'double' three years in a row!

How Clay Courts Are Built

The clay courts at Roland-Garros have five layers:

• Red brick dust (this is the top layer you see).
• Crushed white limestone.
• Clinker (which is coal residue).
• Crushed gravel.
• Drain rock (to help water drain away).

Trophies and Prize Money

Rafael Nadal holding the Coupe des Mousquetaires (The Musketeers' Cup) after winning in 2006.

Winners have received special trophies since 1953. These beautiful trophies are made by Mellerio dits Meller. This is a famous jewelry maker in Paris. They are pure silver with detailed designs. When a player wins the singles title, their name is added to the trophy's base. Winners get to keep a smaller copy of the trophy, also made of pure silver. The president of the French Tennis Federation (FFT) usually gives out the trophies.

The men's singles winner gets the Coupe des Mousquetaires (The Musketeers' Cup). It is named after France's famous 'Four Musketeers' tennis players from the 1920s. The trophy is quite heavy, weighing 14 kilograms (about 31 pounds). It is 40 centimeters tall (about 1.3 feet). The original trophy always stays with the FFT.

The women's singles winner receives the Coupe Suzanne Lenglen (Suzanne Lenglen Cup). It is named after Suzanne Lenglen, a legendary French tennis star. This cup has been awarded since 1979. It is a copy of a cup given to Suzanne Lenglen by the city of Nice. Just like the men's trophy, the original stays with the FFT. Winners get a replica.

Prize Money

For the 2025 tournament, the total prize money is a whopping €56.352 million! That is a lot of money, and it is even more than the year before. Here is how it is broken down for some events:

• ¹ Prize money for doubles is for the whole team.

Ranking Points

Besides prize money, players also earn ranking points. These points help decide their official ranking in the world of tennis. Different tours (like the men's ATP Tour and the women's WTA Tour) have their own rules for points.

Points for Senior Players

Champions and Records

Recent French Open Champions

Most Recent Finals

Here are the results from the most recent finals:

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

Amazing Records

The French Open has a long history with many amazing records!

Chris Evert holds the record for the most women's singles titles at the French Open.

Record	Era	Player(s)	Count	Years
Men since 1891
Most singles titles	Open Era	Rafael Nadal	14	2005–2008, 2010–2014, 2017–2020, 2022
	French Championships*	Max Decugis	8	1903–1904, 1907–1909, 1912–1914
Most consecutive singles titles	Open Era	Rafael Nadal	5	2010–2014
	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.
	French Championships*	Max Decugis	13	1902–1909, 1911–1914, 1920
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.
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
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)

• A quick note: The 'French Championships' (from 1891–1924) were just for members of French clubs. In 1925, players from other countries could join. It was called the French Open from 1968, when pros could play too. You can also read about the WHCC.

How to Watch the Tournament

If you want to watch the French Open on TV or online, here is some general information:

• In France: You can usually watch the French Open on France Télévisions and Amazon Prime Video. Some night matches might only be on Prime Video.
• In the United States: Starting in 2025, TNT Sports will show the French Open. You can find matches on channels like TNT, TBS, and TruTV. You can also stream them on Max. In the past, other channels like NBC and Tennis Channel showed the tournament.
• In the United Kingdom: Eurosport has been showing the French Open for many years. They currently have the main rights to broadcast it. Previously, the BBC and ITV Sport also showed matches.
• In India: Fans could watch the French Open on Sony Pictures Sports Network from 2022 to 2024. Before that, Star Sports showed the tournament.

Broadcast rights can change. So, it is always a good idea to check local listings closer to the tournament time.

Ball Boys and Ball Girls

Every year, around 280 ball boys and ball girls help out at the French Open. In French, they are called "ramasseurs de balles." This means "gatherers of balls."

These helpers are usually between 11 and 16 years old. They wear matching outfits, often from Lacoste. To become a ball boy or girl, you have to apply. It is very popular – thousands of kids in France apply each year! If chosen, they get special training before the tournament starts. Their job is to quickly collect tennis balls that go out of play. They also give towels to players. This helps the matches run smoothly.

See also

In Spanish: Torneo de Roland Garros para niños

• Australian Open
• Wimbledon
• US Open