French Open

In 1891, the first tennis tournament was held on the courts of l'Ile de Puteaux in Paris as the one-day national championship. Only French players and players from Francais clubs took part in the tournament, but the first winner was H. BRIGGS from England. In 1925, the French Tennis Federation decided to open the championship to the best foreign players. When the French Musketeers, Jacques BRUGNON, Jean BOROTRA, Henri COCHET, and Rene LACOSTE beat the USA team in the Davis Cup in 1927, it became necessary to build a new stadium to host the return match the following year.

The French Tennis Federation allocated the area of three hectares near Porte d'Auteuil, and they were required to name the new stadium Roland Garros in honor of the former member of the Stade Francais club, an aviator, who was the first man who in 1913 made the first non-stop flight across the Mediterranean Sea that lasted for nearly eight hours. The following year, Garros joined the French army at the outbreak of World War I. On October 5, 1918, a French pilot's plane was shot down in northern France, near Vouziers in the Ardennes region. The pilot died one day short of his 30th birthday.

In 1968, the French Open became the inaugural Grand Slam tournament of tennis's Open Era, and the first Open Era champions became Ken ROSEWALL and Nancy RICHEY. In 2001, the center court was named after Philippe Chatrier, the former president of the French Tennis Federation from 1973 to 1991, who passed away a year earlier at 72. In 2020, Roland Garros became the final Grand Slam venue to install a roof.

Rafael NADAL is the undisputed hero of Roland Garros. He won 14 amazing titles between 2005 and 2022. In 2025, the organizers of the French Open held a warm farewell ceremony for the champion. In the presence of his friends and tennis rivals, Roger FEDERER, Novak DJOKOVIC and Andy MURRAY, a commemorative plaque bearing the legendary Spaniard's sneaker print was installed directly into the clay of the tournament's main arena. Rafael Nadal, known for his unstoppable will to win, is the perfect embodiment of the tournament's slogan: "Victory belongs to the most tenacious".

French Open TROPHIES

In 1981, Philippe Chatrier, then President of the French Tennis Federation, called on Paris’ jewelers with the challenge of creating a new look for the Coupe des Mousquetaires (or The Musketeers’ Trophy) awarded for the Men’s Singles tournament at Roland Garros. It had to symbolize the victories of four great tennis players: Jacques BRUGNON, Jean BOROTRA, Henri COCHET, and Rene LACOSTE. A French jewelry house Mellerio dits Meller, founded in 1613, won this tender thanks to the elegance and refinement of its project - a wide-necked cup edged with a border of vine leaves. It is decorated with two swans serving as handles. The trophy sits on a marble base, inscribed with the names of all winners since 1891. Once a year, on the day of the final, the original cup leaves the office of the President of the Federation for just a few hours. The winner takes only a replica, which is always smaller than the original, home with him. The only exception was in 2017 when the full-size replica of the Coupe des Mousquetaires was awarded to Rafael NADAL for his 10th win of the French Open.

Coupe Suzanne Lenglen (or The Suzanne Lenglen Trophy) is awarded to the winner of the Women's Singles competition of the French Open. It was first presented in 1979. A true work of art, Mellerio dits Meller designed this trophy, named after the French tennis legend Suzanne LENGLEN, who won Roland Garros six times. The trophy is almost identical to the cup presented at the time by the City of Nice to Suzanne Lenglen, except for a few details. It is displayed at the National Sports Museum. The winner of the French Open receives a small replica of the trophy to keep at home.

All-time French Open Winners

Men's Singles