Tournoi de Roland-Garros (French Open)
2008 French Open
Grand Slam
Location	Paris (XVIe)  France
Venue	Stade Roland Garros
Surface	Clay / Outdoors
Men's Draw	128S / 128Q / 64D
Women's Draw	128S / 96Q / 64D
Prize Money	€15,264,500
Official website
Grand Slam tournaments
Australian Open French Open (Roland Garros) Wimbledon US Open

The French Open (French: Les Internationaux de France de Roland Garros or Tournoi de Roland-Garros) is a major tennis tournament held over two weeks between mid-May and early June in Paris, France, at the Stade Roland Garros. The 2008 French Open was a Tennis tournament played on outdoor clay courts. The four Grand Slam tournaments are the most important Tennis events of the year Paris (ˈpærɨs in English; in French) is the Capital of France and the country's largest city This article is about the country For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic France topics. The Stade de Roland Garros (Roland Garros Stadium is located in the 16th arrondissement of Paris, France, and is home of the French Open Please update other articles as well to avoid contradiction within Wikipedia e The four Grand Slam tournaments are the most important Tennis events of the year The Australian Open is one of the four Grand Slam Tennis Tournaments held each year The Championships Wimbledon, or simply Wimbledon, is the oldest Tennis tournament in the world and is widely considered as the most prestigious The US Open Tennis tournament is one of the oldest tennis championships in the world first contested in 1881 Tennis is a sport played between two players ( singles) or between two teams of two players each ( doubles) Paris (ˈpærɨs in English; in French) is the Capital of France and the country's largest city This article is about the country For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic France topics. The Stade de Roland Garros (Roland Garros Stadium is located in the 16th arrondissement of Paris, France, and is home of the French Open It is the second of the Grand Slam tournaments on the annual tennis calendar and the premier clay court tennis tournament in the world. Statistics play an important role in summarizing Tennis performance and evaluating players in the sport both present and past A clay court is one of the four different types of Tennis court. It is one of the most prestigious events in tennis,^[1] and it has the widest worldwide broadcasting and audience of all events in this sport. ^{[2] [3]} Because of the slow playing surface and the five-set men's singles matches without a tiebreak in the final set, the event is considered to be the most physically demanding tennis tournament in the world. A Tennis match is composed of sets. The winner of a specified number of sets (typically two or three wins the match ^{[4] [5]}

History

Officially named in French the Les Internationaux de France de Roland Garros or Tournoi de Roland-Garros (the "French Internationals of Roland Garros" or "Roland Garros Tournament" in English), the tournament is often referred to as the "French Open" and sometimes simply as "Roland Garros. French ( français,) is a Romance language spoken around the world by 118 million people as a native language and by about 180 to 260 million people English is a West Germanic language originating in England and is the First language for most people in the United Kingdom, the United States "

The event began as a national tournament in 1891 as the Championat de France International de Tennis. Year 1891 ( MDCCCXCI) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common The first women's tournament was held in 1897. Year 1897 ( MDCCCXCVII) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar (or a Common In 1912, the French tournament was held with a different surface (at the time all tennis played was lawn tennis), a red clay ("terre battue"), made up from the crushed wastes of red brick. A clay court is one of the four different types of Tennis court. A clay court is one of the four different types of Tennis court. The tournament was open only to tennis players who were licensed in France through 1924. Year 1924 ( MCMXXIV) was a Leap year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar.

In 1925, the French Championships opened itself to international competitors with the event held on a grass surface alternately between the Racing Club de France and the Stade Francais. Year 1925 ( MCMXXV) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. ^[6] After the Mousquetaires or Philadelphia Four (Rene Lacoste, Jean Borotra, Henri Cochet, and Jacques Brugnon) won the Davis Cup on American soil in 1927, the French decided to defend the cup in 1928 at a new tennis stadium at Porte d’Auteuil. The Four Musketeers (Les Quatre Mousquetaires were four Tennis players from France, given their name from the Dumas Jean René Lacoste ( July 2, 1904 - October 12, 1996) was a famous French Tennis player and businessman nicknamed "the Jean Robert Borotra ( 13 August 1898 – 17 July 1994) was a French champion Tennis player one of the famous " Henri Jean Cochet ( December 14, 1901 – April 1, 1987) was a champion Tennis player one of the famous " Four Musketeers Jacques "Toto" Brugnon ( May 11, 1895 &ndash March 20, 1978) was a champion Tennis The Davis Cup is the premier international team event in men's Tennis. Year 1927 ( MCMXXVII) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Year 1928 ( MCMXXVIII) was a Leap year starting on Sunday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. The Stade de France had offered the tennis authorities three hectares of land with the condition that the new stadium must be named after the World War I pilot, Roland Garros. World War I (abbreviated WWI; also known as the First World War, the Great War, and the War to End All Roland Garros ( October 6 1888 &ndash October 5 1918) was an early French Aviator and a Fighter aircraft The new Stade de Roland Garros, and its Center Court, which was named Court Philippe Chatrier in 1988, hosted that Davis Cup challenge. The Stade de Roland Garros (Roland Garros Stadium is located in the 16th arrondissement of Paris, France, and is home of the French Open Court Philippe Chatrier is the main Tennis Court at the Stade Roland Garros in Paris, France.

Suzanne Lenglen Court at Roland Garros.

In 1968, the French Championships became the first Grand Slam tournament to go open, allowing both amateurs and professionals to compete. Year 1968 ( MCMLXVIII) was a Leap year starting on Monday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. This article describes the History ^[6]

Since 1981, new prizes have been presented Prix Orange (the most fair-play and the most press friendly player), Prix Citron (the player with the strongest character, personality) and Prix Bourgeon (the tennis player revelation of the year).

Another novelty, since 2006 the tournament has begun on a Sunday, featuring 12 singles matches played on the three main courts.

Additionally, on the eve of the tournament's opening, the traditional Benny Berthet exhibition day takes place, where the profits go to different charity associations.

In March 2007, it was announced that the event will provide equal prize money for both men and women in all rounds for the first time ever. ^[7]

Surface characteristics

Clay courts slow down the ball and produce a high bounce when compared to grass courts or hard courts. A tennis court is where the game of Tennis is played It is a firm rectangular surface with a low net stretched across the center A tennis court is where the game of Tennis is played It is a firm rectangular surface with a low net stretched across the center For this reason, the clay court takes away some advantage of big serves, which makes it hard for serve based players to dominate on the surface. For example Pete Sampras, a player known for his huge serve, and Roger Federer, current World No. Petros “Pete” Sampras (born August 12, 1971) is a former World No Roger Federer (ˈrɒdʒə ˈfɛdərər born August 8 1981 is a Swiss professional Tennis player who is currently ranked World No 1, have never won the French Open. On the other hand, legendary all-court players, such as Björn Borg, Ivan Lendl, and Rod Laver have found great success at French Open. (bjœɳ bɔrj born 6 June 1956) is a former World No 1 Tennis player from Sweden who is widely regarded by observers and tennis players Ivan Lendl (born March 7, 1960) is a former World No 1 professional Tennis player of Czech origin For the arena in Melbourne Park used for show matches in the Australian Open, see Rod Laver Arena Rodney George "Rod" Laver

Trophies

• Men's Singles, winner of the Coupe des Mousquetaires
• Women's Singles, winner of the Coupe Suzanne Lenglen
• Men's Doubles, winners of the Coupe Jacques Brugnon
• Women's Doubles, winners of the Coupe Simone Mathieu
• Mixed Doubles, winners of the Coupe Marcel Bernard

The trophies are all made of pure silver with finely etched decorations on their side, each new singles winner gets his or her name written on the plate holding the trophy. Amateur Championships of France (1891-1924 For these years very few foreign players entered and no officially professional players were permitted Through 1923 the French Championships were open only to French nationals See also French Open Men's Singles finals Women's Singles finals Women's Doubles finals Through 1923 the French Championships were open only to French nationals Through 1923 the French Championships were open only to French nationals

Winners receive a replica of the won trophy. Pure silver replicas of the trophies are fabricated and engraved for each winner by the Maison Mellerio, located in the Rue de la Paix, Paris. The Rue de la Paix, in the IIe arrondissement of Paris, though depending somewhat on historic prestige remains one of the world's most fashionable shopping streets Paris (ˈpærɨs in English; in French) is the Capital of France and the country's largest city

Records

Record	Open Era	Player(s)	Nos.	Years
Men since 1891
Winner of most men's singles titles	Before 1968:	Max Decugis	8	1903, 1904, 1907, 1908, 1909, 1912, 1913, 1914
		Henri Cochet	4	1926, 1928, 1930, 1932
	After 1968:	Björn Borg	6	1974-75, 1978-81
Winner of most consecutive men's singles titles	Before 1968:	Max Decugis	3	1912-14
		Frank Parker Jaroslav Drobny Tony Trabert Nicola Pietrangeli	2	1948-49 1951-52 1954-55 1959-60
	After 1968:	Björn Borg Rafael Nadal	4	1978-81 2005-08
Winner of most men's doubles titles	Before 1968:	Max Decugis	14	1902, 1903, 1904, 1905, 1906, 1907, 1908, 1909, 1910, 1911, 1912, 1913, 1914, 1920. Maxime "Max" Omer Décugis ( September 24 1882 &ndash September 6 1978) was a male Tennis player from France Henri Jean Cochet ( December 14, 1901 – April 1, 1987) was a champion Tennis player one of the famous " Four Musketeers (bjœɳ bɔrj born 6 June 1956) is a former World No 1 Tennis player from Sweden who is widely regarded by observers and tennis players Maxime "Max" Omer Décugis ( September 24 1882 &ndash September 6 1978) was a male Tennis player from France Frank ("Frankie" Andrew Parker (born on January 31, 1916 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA Jaroslav Drobný ( October 12, 1921, Prague &ndash September 13, 2001, London) was an amateur Tennis champion Marion Anthony (Tony Trabert (born August 16 1930 in Cincinnati Ohio) is a retired American Tennis champion and long-time tennis author TV commentator instructor Nicola "Nicky" Pietrangeli (born September 11 1933, in Tunis, Tunisia) is a former Tennis player from Italy. (bjœɳ bɔrj born 6 June 1956) is a former World No 1 Tennis player from Sweden who is widely regarded by observers and tennis players Rafael Nadal Parera (rafaˈel naˈðal (born June 3 1986 is a Spanish professional Tennis player who has been ranked World No Maxime "Max" Omer Décugis ( September 24 1882 &ndash September 6 1978) was a male Tennis player from France
		Roy Emerson	6	1960, 1962 with Neale Fraser, 1961 with Rod Laver, 1963 with Manuel Santana, 1964 with Ken Fletcher, 1965 with Fred Stolle
	After 1968:	Paul Haarhuis Yevgeny Kafelnikov	3	1995, 1998 with Jacco Eltingh, 2002 with Yevgeny Kafelnikov 1996-97 with Daniel Vacek, 2002 with Paul Haarhuis
Winner of most consecutive men's doubles titles	Before 1968:	Max Decugis	13	1902-14
		Roy Emerson	6	1960-65
	After 1968:	Gene Mayer Yevgeny Kafelnikov & Daniel Vacek Jonas Bjorkman & Max Mirnyi	2	1978 with Hank Pfister, 1979 with Sandy Mayer 1996-97 2005-06
Winner of most mixed doubles titles - Men	Before 1968:	Max Decugis	7	1904, 1905, 1906, 1908, 1909, 1914 and 1920 with Suzanne Lenglen
	After 1968:	Jean-Claude Barclay	4	1968, 1971, 1973 with Francoise Durr
Winner of most titles (total: singles, doubles, mixed) - men	Before 1968:	Max Decugis	29	1902-1920 (8 singles, 14 doubles, 7 mixed)
	After 1968:	Bjorn Borg	6	1974-81 (6 singles)
Women since 1897
Winner of most women's singles titles	Before 1968:	Suzanne Lenglen	6	1920, 1921, 1922, 1923, 1925, 1926
	After 1968:	Chris Evert	7	1974-75, 1979-80, 1983, 1985-86
Winner of most consecutive women's singles titles	Before 1968:	Suzanne Lenglen	4	1920-23
	After 1968:	Monica Seles Justine Henin	3	1990-92 2005-07
Winner of most women's doubles titles	Before 1968:	Simone Mathieu	6	1933-34 with Elizabeth Ryan, 1936-38 with Billie Yorke, 1939 with Jadwiga Jedrzejowska
	After 1968:	/ Martina Navratilova	7	1975 (with Chris Evert), 1982 with Anne Smith, 1984-85, 1987-88 with Pam Shriver, 1986 with Andrea Temesvari
Winner of most consecutive women's doubles titles	Before 1968:	Francoise Durr	5	1967-71
	After 1968:	/ Martina Navratilova Gigi Fernandez	5	1984-85, 1987-88 with Pam Shriver; 1986 with Andrea Temesvari 1991 with Jana Novotna, 1992-95 with Natasha Zvereva
Winner of most mixed doubles titles - women	Before 1968:	Suzanne Lenglen	7	1914, 1920 with Max Decugis 1921, 1922, 1923, 1925, 1926 with Jacques Brugnon
	After 1968:	Francoise Durr	3	1968, 1971, 1973 with Jean-Claude Barclay
Winner of most titles (total: singles, doubles, mixed) - women	Before 1968:	Suzanne Lenglen	15	1919-1926 (6 singles, 2 doubles, 7 mixed)
	After 1968:	/ Martina Navratilova	11	1974-88 (2 singles, 7 doubles, 2 mixed)
Miscellaneous
Youngest winner	Men:	Michael Chang	17 years and 3 months
	Women:	/ Monica Seles	16 years and 6 months
Unseeded Winners	Men:	Marcel Bernard Mats Wilander Gustavo Kuerten Gaston Gaudio	1946 1982 1997 2004
	Women:	Margaret Scriven	1933

External links

• Official Site
• (French) Roland Garros on France2
• (French) Roland Garros on ina.fr : more than 600 hours of audio/visual archives
• Satellite image of the venue (Google Maps)
• Photos of Roland Garros

See also

List of French Men's Singles champions and finalists

Notes and references