The 2020 French Open is reaching its latter stages, and 12-time champion Rafael Nadal will be hoping he can retain his clay crown.
However, Serbian Novak Djokovic is now the favourite to lift his second Roland-Garros title – according to the French Open latest odds.
Meanwhile, the Women’s Singles has been blown wide open, with the early exists of Serena Williams and Simona Halep, five non-seeded players have reached the quarterfinals, where number three seed Elina Svitolina was, shockingly, knocked out by World Number 131 Nadia Podoroska.
Anyway, as we gear up for a thrilling finale to the last Grand Slam of 2020, let’s take a look at some fun facts about the French Open. Read on to find out more!
- The French Open is also known as the Roland-Garros
The French Open, and its venue (the Stade Roland Garros), is named after French pioneer aviator Roland-Garros, who was the first man to fly solo across the Mediterranean Sea. Garros was also a World One fighter pilot and died in aerial combat in 1918. The Stade Roland Garros was built 10 years later, in 1928, and named in his honour.
- The French Open was originally played on sand
When the tournament was first introduced in 1891, and played at Île de Puteaux, it was played on sand laid out on a bed of rubble. This was the case until 1907, when the tournament was moved to the Racing Club de France. Since then, the French Open has been played on clay, and remains the only Grand Slam held on the red dirt surface.
- In the beginning, the tournament was only open to members of French clubs
When the tournament began as the Championnat de France – or the French Championships – it was open only to members of French tennis clubs. The first male winner was H. Briggs, who was a British native living in Paris. The Women’s Singles were introduced six years later, 1897, whilst Mixed Doubles and Women’s Doubles were first hosted in 1902 and 1907, respectively. It wasn’t until 1924, that non-French tennis club members were allowed to enter.
- The Stade Roland Garros is made up of 20 courts
The Roland Garros is a 21-acre complex boasting 20 courts. Court Philippe Chatrier was built in 1928, and is the complex’s centrepiece, seating just over 15,000 – following a renovation in 2019. Court Suzanne Lenglen is the secondary stadium with a capacity of 10,068, whilst Court Simonne Mathieu, which was newly built in 2019, is the third biggest court with a capacity of 5,000.
- The 2020 French Open is using Wilson balls for the first time
A lot of things are different about this year’s tournament. It’s behind schedule, there’s less of crowd, and big names have dropped out. However, possibly the biggest chance is the introduction of a new ball manufacturer – Wilson. A five-year partnership with the American supplier put an end to an eight-year alliance with Babolat. Wilson, who have provided the balls for the US Open since 1978, have designed the ball specifically for the clay court, making them more durable for rough surface.
