Last Updated on May 20, 2022
The French Open, also known as Roland-Garros, is a major tennis tournament held over two weeks at the Stade Roland Garros in Paris, France, beginning in late May each year. The tournament and venue are named after the French aviator Roland Garros.
Roland Garros courts
The 13.5-hectare (34-acre) complex contains twenty courts, including three large-capacity stadiums; Les Jardins de Roland Garros, a large restaurant and bar complex; Le Village, the press and VIP area; France’s National Training Centre (CNE); and the Tenniseum, a bilingual, multimedia museum of the history of tennis.
Court Philippe Chatrier
Court Philippe Chatrier was built in 1928 as Stade Roland Garros’s centerpiece and remains its principal venue. The four main spectator grandstands are named for les Quatre Mousquetaires—Brugnon, Borotra, Cochet, and Lacoste—in honor of their Davis Cup success, which prompted the construction of the facility, and the stadium. As a further tribute, the trophy awarded each year to the French Open men’s singles champion is known as La Coupe des Mousquetaires.
Court Suzanne Lenglen
Built in 1994 and originally designated “Court A”, Court Suzanne Lenglen is the secondary stadium with a capacity of 10,068 spectators. Its namesake, an international celebrity and the first true star of women’s tennis, won 31 major tournaments, including six French Open titles and six Wimbledon championships, between 1914 and 1926. Known as La Divine (“Divine One”) and La Grand Dame (“Great Lady”) of French tennis, she also won two Olympic gold medals in Antwerp in 1920. A bronze bas relief of Lenglen by the Italian sculptor Vito Tongiani stands over the east tunnel-entrance to the stadium.
Court Simonne Mathieu
Stade Roland Garros’s new 5,000-seat tertiary venue was completed in March 2019 on the grounds of the Jardin des Serres d’Auteuil. Its namesake was the 1938 and 1939 women’s singles champion who is also remembered as a leader of the French Resistance during the Second World War.
Who are the courts at Roland Garros named after?
The complex is named after Roland Garros and the three stadium courts are Court Phillippe Chatrier, Court Simone Mathieu and Court Suzanne Lenglen.
Roland Garros was a pioneering aviator from France. Philippe Chatrier was a tennis player turned tennis administrator. Suzanne Lenglen is considered to be the first global female sports celebrity- across sports. The French Press called her La Divine (the Goddess). Simonne Mathieu was a female tennis player from France in the 1930s who won the French Open twice and was a losing finalist as many as six times.
What are Roland Garros’ courts made of?
The four layers that make up the courts at Roland Garros have plenty of organic matter, just not actual clay. You’ll find a 10-inch layer of stone, a six-inch layer of water-filtering slag with metal waste material, a four-inch layer of limestone topped off with three millimeters—just too little to count in inches—of broken brick.
How deep is the clay at Roland Garros?
While the Stade Roland Garros surface is invariably characterized as “red clay”, the courts are in fact surfaced with white limestone covered with a few millimeters of powdered red brick dust. Beneath the 3-inch (7.6 cm) layer of porous limestone is 6 inches (15 cm) of volcanic rock, followed by 3 feet (91 cm) of sand, all of which rests on a slab of concrete.
How do they paint the lines at Roland Garros?
The lines are marked out with thread and scraped to 6cm wide, down to the limestone layer. A thin coat of linseed oil is first applied for better adherence, and then two coats of white paint are applied.
What are outside courts in Roland Garros?
Outside Courts at Stade Roland Garros and its ticket office are located at 2 Avenue Gordon Bennett, Paris, VP 75016. Find your place in the stands at Outside Courts at Stade Roland Garros in Paris with our easy-to-use and interactive seating chart. Most stadiums feature a circular or oblong design with rows of seats around the interior.
Can you play on Roland Garros courts?
Stade Roland Garros is part of the French Federation’s training program. They are available for play if you are participating in one of their events. The French Open is only one of many. I was going to attach a page from the Tour Guide but can’t see how. I will quote, “Rolland Garros is not a club.
Does Roland Garros have indoor courts?
Considered an outdoor competition, the tournament Roland–Garros must take place as much as possible without protection to guarantee the fairness of the matches since the other courts no are know endowed with a roof. … “The activation of roof does will operate know during the game.
What is the main court at Roland Garros?
Court Philippe Chatrier was known simply as “Court Central” until 2001, when it was renamed for the long-time president of the Fédération Française de Tennis (FFT) who helped restore tennis as a Summer Olympics sport in 1988. It seats 15,225 spectators as of a 2019 renovation.
Which is the best court at Roland Garros?
While Philippe Chatrier is the show court of Stade Roland Garros, it does not always hold the best matches. Suzanne Lenglen and Simonne-Mathieu will often let you see much better tennis up close in a more intimate setting than Philippe Chatrier.
Does Roland Garros have any covered courts?
The structure covers Roland Garros’ main stage, the Philippe-Chatrier court, in a bid to rid the biggest matches of those pesky rain delays. The roof, which will take approximately 15 minutes to close, is made up of 11 individual trusses — each weighing 330 metric tons — and took eight months to assemble, according to organizers.
What type of court is the French Open played on?
The French Open is the premier clay court tennis championship tournament. It is also the second Grand Slam of the annual four slams. The French Open is currently the only clay-court Grand Slam tournament and it is also the conclusion of the spring clay court season.
