The French Open, also known as Roland Garros, is a testament to the journey of the Tennis players rising from humble beginnings to shining brightly like the pole stars. From Rafael Nadal to Bjorn Borg, Roger Federer, and Novak Djokovic, all have experienced the brilliance of lifting the trophy on the clay courts in the western city of Paris. As the annual Grand Slam event approaches, tennis stars from each corner of the world unite under the Parisian sky. French Open 2024 is kicking off on May 20, Monday. (More Tennis News)
Roland Garros is one of the four major events of the ATP and WTA tours, other three are held in Australia, US, and Wimbledon. Interestingly, it is the sole major tennis tournament that is played on clay courts. This year marks the 128th edition of the French Grand Slam.
The Spanish tennis great Rafael Nadal holds the record for most titles in men's singles at Roland Garros, with an impressive 14 trophies under his belt. However, unfortunately, 2024 might be the last time for the 22-time grand slam winner to appear on this iconic clay court, where he has dominated and defined an entire era of tennis.
Iga Swiatek is the defending champion of the French Open in women's singles tournament while Novak Djokovic will defend his title in men's singles.
Brief History Of Roland Garros (French Open)
The history of the Roland Garros traces back to the year 1891 when the French Clay Court Championships were established in Paris for players from the French Clubs only. Two venues were created for the tennis tournament - Stade Francais, the Parc de Saint-Cloud, and the Racing Club de France’s Croix-Catelan.
Initially, the championships were exclusively for men, only after 6 years in 1897 the first women's championship took place. Since then with the exception of World War 1, the tournament has been held annually, not even the World War 2 stopped it.
In response to the growing global interest towards the Roland Garros, they began inviting players from around the world in 1925, marking its evolution into a Grand Slam event.
Among the most renowned male players in the tournament's history is Henri Cochet with four titles to his name, Max Decugis with 8, and Rafael Nadal with the record for most, 14 titles. In the women's category, the notable names include Chris Evert, who clinched 7 titles in the Open Era, and Suzanne Langlen who had 7 titles during the amateur era.
Past Winners of Roland Garros (French Open)
Men's Singles Past Winners of Roland Garros (French Open):
1892 – Jean Schopfer
1893 – Laurent Riboulet
1894 – Andre Vacherot
1895 – Andre Vacherot
1896 – Andre Vacherot
1897 – Paul Ayme
1898 – Paul Ayme
1899 – Paul Ayme
1900 – Paul Ayme
1901 – Andre Vacherot
1902 – Marcel Vacherot
1903 – Max Decugis
1904 – Max Decugis
1905 – Maurice Germot
1906 – Maurice Germot
1907 – Max Decugis
1908 – Max Decugis
1909 – Max Decugis
1910 – Maurice Germot
1911 – Andre Gobert
1912 – Max Decugis
1913 – Max Decugis
1914 – Max Decugis
1920 – Andre Gobert
1921 – Jean Samazeuilh
1922 – Henri Cochet
1923 – Francois Blanchy
1924 – Jean Borotra
1925 – Rene Lacoste
1926 – Henri Cochet
1927 – Rene Lacoste
1928 – Henri Cochet
1929 – Rene Lacoste
1930 – Henri Cochet
1931 – Jean Borotra
1932 – Henri Cochet
1933 – Jack Crawford
1934 – Gottfried von Cramm
1935 – Fred Perry
1936 – Gottfried von Cramm
1937 – Henner Henkel
1938 – Don Budge
1939 – Don McNeill
1941 – Bernard Destremau
1942 – Bernard Destremau
1943 – Yvon Petra
1944 – Yvon Petra
1945 – Yvon Petra
1946 – Marcel Bernard
1947 – Jozsef Asboth
1948 – Frank Parker
1949 – Frank Parker
1950 – Budge Patty
1951 – Jaroslav Drobny
1952 – Jaroslav Drobny
1953 – Ken Rosewall
1954 – Tony Trabert
1955 – Tony Trabert
1956 – Lew Hoad
1957 – Sven Davidson
1958 – Mervyn Rose
1959 – Nicola Pietrangeli
1960 – Nicola Pietrangeli
1961 – Manuel Santana
1962 – Rod Laver
1963 – Roy Emerson
1964 – Manuel Santana
1965 – Fred Stolle
1966 – Tony Roche
1966 – Roy Emerson
1968 – Ken Rosewall
1969 – Rod Laver
1970 – Jan Kodes
1971 – Jan Kodes
1972 – Andres Gimeno
1973 – Ilie Nastase
1974 – Bjorn Borg
1975 – Bjorn Borg
1976 – Adriano Panatta
1977 – Guillermo Vilas
1978 – Bjorn Borg
1979 – Bjorn Borg
1980 – Bjorn Borg
1981 – Bjorn Borg
1982 – Mats Wilander
1983 – Yannick Noah
1984 – Ivan Lendl
1985 – Mats Wilander
1986 – Ivan Lendl
1987 – Ivan Lendl
1988 – Mats Wilander
1989 – Michael Chang
1990 – Andres Gomez
1991 – Jim Courier
1992 – Jim Courier
1993 – Sergi Bruguera
1994 – Sergi Bruguera
1995 – Thomas Muster
1996 – Yevgeny Kafelnikov
1997 – Gustavo Kuerten
1998 – Carlos Moya
1999 – Andre Agassi
2000 – Gustavo Kuerten
2001 – Gustavo Kuerten
2002 – Albert Costa
2003 – Juan Carlos Ferrero
2004 – Gaston Gaudio
2005 – Rafael Nadal
2006 – Rafael Nadal
2007 – Rafael Nadal
2008 – Rafael Nadal
2009 – Roger Federer
2010 – Rafael Nadal
2011 – Rafael Nadal
2012 – Rafael Nadal
2013 – Rafael Nadal
2014 – Rafael Nadal
2015 – Stan Wawrinka
2016 – Novak Djokovic
2017 – Rafael Nadal
2018 – Rafael Nadal
2019 – Rafael Nadal
2020 – Rafael Nadal
2021 – Novak Djokovic
2022 – Rafael Nadal
2023 – Novak Djokovic
Women's Singles Past Winners of Roland Garros (French Open):
1897 – Adine Masson
1898 – Adine Masson
1899 – Adine Masson
1900 – Yvonne Prevost
1901 – Suzanne Girod
1902 – Adine Masson
1903 – Adine Masson
1904 – Kate Gillou
1905 – Kate Gillou
1906 – Kate Gillou-Fenwick
1907 – Comtesse de Kermel
1908 – Kate Gillou-Fenwick
1909 – Jeanne Matthey
1910 – Jeanne Matthey
1911 – Jeanne Matthey
1912 – Jeanne Matthey
1913 – Marguerite Broquedis
1914 – Marguerite Broquedis
1920 – Suzanne Lenglen
1921 – Suzanne Lenglen
1922 – Suzanne Lenglen
1923 – Suzanne Lenglen
1924 – Julie Vlasto
1925 – Suzanne Lenglen
1926 – Suzanne Lenglen
1927 – Kea Bouman
1928 – Helen Wills Moody
1929 – Helen Wills Moody
1930 – Helen Wills Moody
1931 – Cilly Aussem
1932 – Helen Wills Moody
1933 – Margaret Scriven Vivian
1934 – Margaret Scriven Vivian
1935 – Hilde Krahwinkel Sperling
1936 – Hilde Krahwinkel Sperling
1937 – Hilde Krahwinkel Sperling
1938 – Simonne Mathieu
1939 – Simonne Mathieu
1941 – Alice Weiwers
1942 – Alice Weiwers
1943 – Simone Iribarne Lafargue
1944 – Raymonde Jones Veber
1945 – Lolette Payot
1946 – Margaret Osborne duPont
1947 – Patricia Canning Todd
1948 – Nelly Adamson Landry
1949 – Margaret Osborne duPont
1950 – Doris Hart
1951 – Shirley Fry
1952 – Doris Hart
1953 – Maureen Connolly
1954 – Maureen Connolly
1955 – Angela Mortimer
1956 – Althea Gibson
1957- Shirley Bloomer
1958 – Zsuzsa Kormoczy
1959 – Christine Truman – Zsuzsa Kormoczy
1960 – Darlene Hard
1961 – Ann Haydon
1962 – Margaret Court
1963 – Lesley Turner
1964 – Margaret Court
1965 – Lesley Turner
1966 – Ann Haydon Jones
1967 – Francoise Durr
1968 – Nancy Richey
1969 – Margaret Court
1970 – Margaret Court
1971 – Evonne Goolagong
1972 – Billie Jean King
1973 – Margaret Court
1974 – Chris Evert
1975 – Chris Evert
1976 – Sue Barker
1977 – Mima Jausovec
1978 – Virginia Ruzici
1979 – Chris Evert
1980 – Chris Evert
1981 – Hana Mandlikova
1982 – Martina Navratilova
1983 – Chris Evert
1984 – Martina Navratilova
1985 – Chris Evert
1986 – Chris Evert
1987 – Steffi Graf
1988 – Steffi Graf
1989 – Arantxa Sanchez Vicario
1990 – Monica Seles
1991 – Monica Seles
1992 – Monica Seles
1993 – Steffi Graf
1994 – Arantxa Sanchez Vicario
1995 – Steffi Graf
1996 – Steffi Graf
1997 – Iva Majoli
1998 – Arantxa Sanchez Vicario
1999 – Steffi Graf
2000 – Mary Pierce
2001 – Jennifer Capriati
2002 – Serena Williams
2003 – Justine Henin
2004 – Anastasia Myskina
2005 – Justine Henin
2006 – Justine Henin
2007 – Justine Henin
2008 – Ana Ivanovic
2009 – Svetlana Kuznetsova
2010 – Francesca Schiavone
2011- Li Na
2012 – Maria Sharapova
2013 – Serena Williams
2014 – Maria Sharapova
2015 – Serena Williams
2016 – Garbine Muguruza
2017 – Jeļena Ostapenko
2018 – Simona Halep
2019 – Ashleigh Barty
2020 – Iga Swiatek
2021 – Barbora Krejcukova
2022 – Iga Swiatek
2023 – Iga Swiatek
Prize Money of Roland Garros (French Open)
The 2024 French Open prize money has been revealed to be €53.5 million in total, with an increase of more than 7.8 percent compared to 2023. Below is how the money will be distributed among the winners and the participants:
Men's & Women's Singles Prize Money
Winner - €2,400,000
Finalist - €1,200,000
Semi-finalist - €650,000
Quarter-finalist - €415,000
Round Four - €250,000
Round Three - €158,000
Round Two - €110,000
Round One - €73,000
Men's and Women's Doubles Prize Money:
Winner - €590,000
Finalist - €295,000
Semi-finalist - €148,000
Quarter-finalist - €80,000
Round Three - €43,500
Round Two - €27,500
Round One - €17,500
