Quick Facts from Roland Garros

Written by: Staff on 28th May 2012

Quick Facts from Roland Garros

epa03225739 Spanish tennis player Rafael Nadal returns the ball to his compatriot David Ferrer in their semi final match at the Italian Open Tennis Tournament, in the Central Stadium at the Foro Italico in Rome, Italy, 19 May 2012. Nadal won 7-6 and 6-0. EPA/ETTORE FERRARI |

(Courtesy of ITF)

Dates

27 May – 10 June 2012

Venue

Roland Garros

Paris, France

Surface

Outdoor red clay

Main stadiums

Court Philippe Chatrier – 14,840 capacity

Court Suzanne Lenglen – 10,068 capacity

Official website

RolandGarros.com

Title holders

Men’s singles

Rafael Nadal (ESP)

Men’s doubles

Max Mirnyi (BLR) / Daniel Nestor (CAN)

Women’s singles

Li Na (CHN)

Women’s doubles

Andrea Hlavackova / Lucie Hradecka (CZE)

Mixed doubles

Casey Dellacqua (AUS) / Scott Lipsky (USA)

Boys’ singles

Bjorn Fratangelo (USA)

Boys’ doubles

Andres Artunedo Martinavarr / Robert Carballes Baena (ESP)

Girls’ singles

Ons Jabeur (TUN)

Girls’ doubles

Irina Khromacheva (RUS) / Maryna Zanevska (UKR)

History

Early days

Established in 1891 as a one-day men’s singles championships reserved for members of the French clubs, Roland Garros (the French Open) was first held at the Stade Francais club in Paris. The tournament opened its doors to women in 1897 and internationals in 1925. The French Internationals were born and staged alternately at Stade Francais and Racing Club de France until the Roland Garros stadium was built in 1928.

What’s in a name

The French Musketeers and their famous Davis Cup triumph over USA in 1927 required a stadium worthy of stature for their rematch the following year. The Stade Francais handed over three hectares of land near Porte d’Auteuil to the FrenchTennis Federation, on one condition – that the new stadium would be named after one of their most renowned members, Roland Garros, a concert pianist and First World War aviation hero who had died ten years earlier.

Grounds

The Roland Garros site is today made up of two main show courts, the 15,000-capacity Philippe Chatrier Court and Suzanne Lenglen Court and 20 other courts. Plans are underway for an expanded and modernised site to be opened in 2016, including a revamped Philippe Chatrier Court equipped with retractable roof.

Surface

The famous red clay of Roland Garros is actually made up of white limestone, dusted with several millimetres of powdered red brick dust. Beneath the three-inch limestone layer is six inches of volcanic rock, a three-foot layer of sand, all sitting on a bed of concrete. When Roland Garros icon Gustavo Kuerten retired from tennis at the 2008 tournament, he was presented with an encased cross-section of the court as a souvenir.

All-time greats – men

In 2011, Rafael Nadal joined Bjorn Borg as the greatest men’s singles champions at Roland Garros in the history of the event, both owning six titles apiece. Musketeer Henri Cochet dominated the tournament’s fledgling days, winning four between 1925 and 1932, while modern-day greats include three-time winners Mats Wilander, Ivan Lendl and Gustavo Kuerten.

All-time greats – women

Chris Evert owns the most Roland Garros titles with seven, closely followed by Steffi Graf’s six. Monica Seles and Justine Henin are the only women in the Open Era to have won three in a row, Seles doing so in 1990-1992 and Henin in 2005-2007 after winning her maiden title in 2003.

Topics: 10sballs.com, Andrea Hlavackova / Lucie Hradecka, clay court tennis, Daniel Nestor, Li Na, Max Mirnyi, Rafael Nadal, Roland Garros, Sports, Tennis News