French Open

A Briton claimed France's inaugural title simply by holding the right club membership.

The first Championnat de France took place in 1891, open only to tennis players who were members of French clubs. The inaugural men's singles was won by a Briton, H. Briggs, who happened to hold membership at a French club. For its first three decades, the tournament remained a strictly domestic competition, played on various Parisian grounds with little fanfare beyond the sporting press.

From parochial club fixture to Grand Slam pillar in a single year; the Musketeers arrived just in time.

In 1925, the French Championships opened to all international competitors for the first time, transforming it from a parochial club occasion into a genuine international championship. It was recognised as one of the world's major tennis tournaments alongside Wimbledon, the US Championships, and the Australian Championships. The move coincided with a golden age of French tennis, as the legendary Four Musketeers, Jacques Brugnon, Jean Borotra, Henri Cochet, and René Lacoste, dominated the sport.

Built for glory and named after an aviator, Roland Garros became home to the French Championships from its very first year.

The Stade Roland Garros was constructed in the Porte d'Auteuil area of Paris specifically to host the 1928 Davis Cup challenge round, in which France defended the title won by the Four Musketeers the previous year. Named after the pioneering French aviator Roland Garros, who was the first to fly solo across the Mediterranean in 1913, the stadium became the permanent home of the French Championships from 1928 onwards. The venue's centre court originally held around 10,000 spectators.

Roland Garros opened its gates to the professionals first, and tennis was never quite the same again.

The French Open became the first Grand Slam tournament to go "open" in 1968, allowing professional players to compete alongside amateurs. Ken Rosewall won the inaugural Open Era men's title, while Nancy Richey took the women's crown. The decision transformed the tournament's prestige and commercial appeal overnight, drawing the world's best players to Paris each May. It was a watershed moment for tennis as a whole, and Roland Garros was at the front of it.

Six titles across eight years; Borg's mastery of Roland Garros clay from 1974 to 1981 set a record that lasted more than two decades.

At just 18 years old, Björn Borg won his first French Open title in 1974, defeating Manuel Orantes in the final. The ice-cool Swede would go on to win six titles in eight years (1974, 1975, 1978, 1979, 1980, 1981), a record that stood for over two decades. Borg's relentless baseline game and extraordinary fitness were perfectly suited to the slow clay, and his dominance helped establish Roland Garros as the ultimate test of endurance in tennis.

A court renamed to honour the man who helped bring tennis back to the Olympics; seating 15,000, it remains Roland Garros at its grandest.

The main show court, renamed Court Philippe Chatrier in 2001 in honour of the former French Tennis Federation president and driving force behind tennis's return to the Olympics, underwent significant renovation. Capacity was expanded to approximately 15,000 seats. Chatrier had been instrumental in modernising the tournament and securing its place among the world's premier sporting occasions. The court remains the centrepiece of the Roland Garros complex.

Fourteen titles from a debut victory; no player has ever owned a single Grand Slam quite like Nadal owns Paris.

A 19-year-old Rafael Nadal arrived at Roland Garros in 2005 and won the title on his tournament debut, defeating Mariano Puerta in the final. It was the start of the most extraordinary dominance any player has ever exerted over a single Grand Slam. Nadal's ferocious topspin forehand, superhuman movement on clay, and sheer competitive will made him virtually unbeatable on the red dirt. He would go on to win 14 French Open titles in total, a record that may never be surpassed.

The last Grand Slam to gain a roof, and Nadal still claimed his 13th title in the autumn chill.

After years of planning and construction, Court Philippe Chatrier debuted its retractable roof in 2020, making the French Open the last of the four Grand Slams to gain a covered centre court. The tournament that year was also pushed from its traditional May-June slot to September-October due to the pandemic, producing an unusual autumn edition played in cooler conditions with heavier balls. Nadal still won, naturally, claiming his 13th title.

At 21, Alcaraz claimed his third Grand Slam on clay; Roland Garros then did it all again for the Olympics.

In 2024, Roland Garros served double duty: hosting the French Open in May-June as usual, then welcoming Olympic tennis during the Paris 2024 Games in July. Carlos Alcaraz won his first French Open title, defeating Alexander Zverev in the final to claim his third Grand Slam at just 21. The venue's expanded facilities, including the garden-enclosed Court Simonne Mathieu opened in 2019, proved more than equal to the demands of an Olympic summer.