The French Open, officially the Tournoi de Roland-Garros (English: Roland Garros Tournament), is a tennis event held from the middle of May to the beginning of June in Paris, France, and is the second of the world's Grand Slam tournaments.
The French Open began as a national tournament in 1891. In 1925, the French Championships opened itself to international competitors with the event held on a grass surface alternatively between the Racing Club de France and the Stade Français. For the 1928 Davis Cup challenge, a new tennis stadium was built at Porte d’Auteuil. Named for a hero of World War I, the new Stade Roland Garros was built with a red clay (terre battu) playing surface, one which alters the ball's bounce and the player's approach to the match vis-à-vis grass courts. As such, over the years, clay court specialists have evolved who often succeed here whilst higher ranked players may struggle like the great champion Pete Sampras who won every other Grand Slam several times but never the French Open.
In 1968 the French championship became the first Grand Slam tournament to go "open," allowing both amateurs and professionals to compete.
Men's record holders for most wins since 1925:
All competitions: Henri Cochet (France), 9 titles (4 singles, 3 doubles, 2 mixed doubles titles)
The FrenchChampionships began in 1891 as a competition between French club players, and women began to take part in 1897.
The French Open’s all-time men’s champion (during international competition) is Sweden’s Bjorn Borg, who won the singles title six times in the 1970s and early 1980s.
After making it as far as the Frenchchampionships, she instead turned to judging.
As an athlete, Le Gougne placed third at the 1976 Frenchchampionships, and eighth in the 1975 international junior competition in Banska Bystrica, Slovakia.
The 40-year-old French judge says she was pressured by her own federation to give Russians Elena Berezhnaya and Anton Sikharulidze the gold.
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