Roland Garros Tournament

General information

Today, the Roland Garros tournaments are held in Paris. Athletes compete for two weeks in 9 categories, of which 5 categories are for adults and 4 for young tennis players. In late spring and early summer, Paris opens its doors to all fans of Grand Slam tournaments.
The French Tennis Federation is the organizer of the event.

History

The competition began in 1891. Only Frenchmen and members of French tennis clubs could take part in the very first tournaments. Due to the status of a national competition, the tournament was not popular at first. The situation changed in 1925, when the event took on an international character.
During the World Wars, competitions were not held. As soon as peacetime came, all tennis fans flocked to France.
The tournament got its name in honor of the French pilot of the same name, who died heroically in 1918 in the First World War.
All competitions are always held in the capital of France. The exception was 1909, when the competition was held in Bordeaux.

Location

The Rolland Garros Sports Complex, built in 1928, is a traditional meeting place for athletes. Since then, the courts have been reconstructed several times.

Courts

All sites have a gravel surface consisting of sand and brick chips. Such a soil, of course, requires special care, but it is considered one of the safest for athletes. The central court accommodates 15,000 spectators. Since 2001, it has been named after Philippe Chatrier, the former president of the French Tennis Federation. The second most important venue (accommodates 10,000 spectators) is named after Suzanne Lenglen.
Everyone can watch the competition. There is a square in front of the Paris City Hall. A large screen is installed here, broadcasting all events on the court live. The audience settles everywhere: on the platform, on the grass, on the asphalt, on the fences.

Records

Suzanne Lenglen is the pride of France. More than 30 times she became the winner of Grand Slam tournaments in different categories: mixed, singles, and doubles.
Among men, the Spaniard Rafael Nadal distinguished himself, who won 9 titles in singles.
In 2004, Fabrice Santoro and Arnaud Clement (both French) set a record for the longest match. Their game lasted 6 hours and 33 minutes.
The shortest final is considered to be the meeting of Steffi Graf (Germany) and Natalia Zvereva (USSR). The game ended at 34 minutes. The winner was an athlete from Germany.
Among the Russians, the winners were E. Kafelnikov (1996), Anastasia Myskina (2004), Svetlana Kuznetsova (2009) and Maria Sharapova (2012).