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The French Open: Roland GarrosThe Roland Garros Tournament is more commonly known in the U.S. as the French Open, and it is the second of four “Grand Slam” tournaments held throughout the year. The other Grand Slam tournaments are the U.S. Open, the Australian Open and, of course, Wimbledon. In 1968 the Roland Garros became the first Grand Slam tournament to allow both amateur and professional players to compete, and in 2006 the event also made the decision to award both male and female singles champions the same monetary prize. It is one of only three tennis tournaments to do so.
The Roland Garros has a long history. It began in 1891 as a national tournament, and the last Roland Garros event to host only French tennis players was held in 1924. It wasn’t until 1928 that the tournament’s modern history began – the French built a new stadium for the 1928 Davis Cup, calling the two courts the Stade Roland Garros (so named for the World War I hero) and the Court Phillipe Chartrier. Both courts are made of red clay, replacing the grass on which the event was previously played.
Clay can be a challenging surface even for tennis players like Roger Federer, who has never won the French Open. The surface slows down the ball and creates a high bounce, and there are players known as “clay specialists” who may not succeed on other surfaces but consistently win on clay. In fact, as of 2006, the past six French Open men’s champions did not win any other Grand Slam tournament. The clay courts at the Roland Garros tournament have thwarted the ambitions of many tennis stars. Lindsay Davenport was prevented from winning a career Grand Slam thanks to the French Open in 1997, and it was the only Grand Slam tournament that Martina Hingis failed to win.
Famous players who have graced these clay courts include six-time French Open winner Bjorn Borg, Ivan Lendl, Mats Wilander and Gustavo Kuerten. However, only one French national has ever taken the men’s singles championship, and that was Yannick Noah. Noah won the singles title in 1983. Current French tennis star Amelie Mauresmo credits Noah with inspiring her to take up tennis.
The event has also seen its share of outstanding tennis and world records. American Michael Chang became the youngest player ever to win the men’s singles event in 1989, and the Roland Garros was also the venue for the Grand Slam debut of women’s tennis star Monica Seles.
In 2006, a women’s tennis record was broken at the Roland Garros when Bethanie Mattek hit the fastest serve ever by a woman. The serve was clocked at 120.55 miles per hour, and in spite of her obvious power, Mattek lost the match. The Roland Garros was the scene of Andre Agassi’s famous “comeback,” when in 1999 he stormed the infamous red clay and won the Open to become only the fifth man in history to win every Grand Slam event.
The Roland Garros garners international attention, and is broadcast in more than 100 countries and 19 languages. |
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