(Reuters) – The French Open is a clay-court Grand Slam tournament organised by the French Tennis Federation. It was first held in 1891 and originally known as the French Championships, or Championnat de France in French.
The French Open is also called Roland Garros after the stadium it is held in, which was named after French fighter pilot and aviator, Roland Garros.
Here is what you need to know about the year’s second major:
WHEN IS THE FRENCH OPEN HAPPENING?
*This year’s French Open runs from May 26 to June 9.
Location
*The French Open is held at Stade Roland Garros in Paris, France every year.
*The three main showcourts are Court Philippe-Chatrier: Capacity of 15,225, Court Suzanne-Lenglen: Capacity of 10,068 and Court Simonne-Mathieu: Capacity of 5,000.
* Court Philippe-Chatrier: Named after the French tennis federation president Philippe Chatrier, this iconic stadium has a capacity of 15,225 spectators. It has been the centrepiece of Roland Garros since its inauguration in 1928. Over the years, it has hosted legendary matches featuring tennis greats like Rafael Nadal, Bjorn Borg, and Chris Evert.
* Court Suzanne-Lenglen: Named in honour of the French tennis great Suzanne Lenglen, this court has a capacity of 10,068 seats. It was opened in 1994 and initially named Court A. Similar to Chatrier, it has seen its fair share of historic battles, captivating audiences with thrilling matches and showcasing the talents of tennis stars from around the world.
* Court Simonne-Mathieu: The newest addition to the main showcourts, Court Simonne-Mathieu was inaugurated in 2019. Named after the French tennis player Simonne Mathieu, it has a capacity of 5,000 spectators. This court provides a more intimate setting for fans to enjoy the action, with its unique design blending harmoniously with the surrounding botanical gardens.
WHO IS INVOLVED IN THE FRENCH OPEN?
* The top-ranked players automatically enter the main draw, with 32 seeds announced prior to the draw to ensure they do not meet in the early rounds. Seedings are based on world rankings determined by the points players collect on the tour.
* Holder Novak Djokovic of Serbia is the men’s world number one and won his 23rd Grand Slam title at the 2023 French Open, defeating Casper Ruud of Norway in the final.
* Poland’s Iga Swiatek, the women’s world number one, successfully defended her French Open crown in 2023, defeating Karolina Muchova of the Czech Republic in the final.
* Organisers also hand out wildcards for local hopes and notable players who have dropped down the rankings. You can check them out here.
TOP RANKED PLAYERS
MEN
1 Novak Djokovic (Serbia)
2 Jannik Sinner (Italy)
3 Carlos Alcaraz (Spain)
4 Alexander Zverev (Germany)
5 Daniil Medvedev (Russia)
6 Andrey Rublev (Russia)
7 Casper Ruud (Norway)
8 Hubert Hurkacz (Poland)
9 Stefanos Tsitsipas (Greece)
10 Grigor Dimitrov (Bulgaria)
WOMEN
1 Iga Swiatek (Poland)
2 Aryna Sabalenka (Belarus)
3 Coco Gauff (United States)
4 Elena Rybakina (Kazakhstan)
5 Jessica Pegula (United States)
6 Marketa Vondrousova (Czech Republic)
7 Maria Sakkari (Greece)
8 Qinwen Zheng (China)
9 Ons Jabeur (Tunisia)
10 Jelena Ostapenko (Latvia)
WHERE TO WATCH THE FRENCH OPEN ON TV
The full list of official broadcasters of the French Open in each country can be found here.
USA: NBC, Peacock, Bally Sports, Tennis Channel
FRANCE: France TV Sport, Prime Video
Europe: Eurosport, discovery+, France Televisions, Sky Sports, Servus TV, RTBF
Asia Pacific & Oceania: CJE NM, WWOS, ELTA, Sky, Stan Sport, WOWOW.
Africa: beIN Sports, CANAL+ and SuperSport.
China: CMG, SportsIqiyi
India & Subcontinent: Sony Sports Network.
Latin America & Caribbean: ESPN.
Latin America (North and South), ESPN.
Middle East: beIN Sports.
North America: TSN, RDS, ESPN.
(Reporting by Shifa Jahan in Bengaluru; Editing by Christian Radnedge)
Disclaimer: This report is auto generated from the Reuters news service. ThePrint holds no responsibilty for its content.