Roland Garros tennis tournament in Paris

 

The famous Roland-Garros tournament, one of the 4 largest professional tennis tournaments in the world, takes place here at Porte d'Auteuil, in the 16th arrondissement of Paris. Located at the gates of the City of Light, this quiet and bucolic neighborhood experiences a great event every year: at the first rays of spring sun, the sound of the best rackets in the world resounds. This year, exceptionally, the fortnight will be held from September 27 to October 11.

 

2020 edition: Due to the health measures related to Covid-19 taken on French territory, the Grand Slam tournament is officially postponed. Initially scheduled from May 18 to June 7, it will run from September 27 to October 11, 2020.

 

This year, the 119th edition of the great tournament will be held from September 17 to October 11, not to coincide with the Tour de France, which has also been postponed as a result of the coronavirus.

 

History of the Roland Garros tournament

 

In 1927, 4 French players, Jacques "Toto" Brugnon, Jean Borotra, Henri Cochet and René Lacoste, won the Davis Cup on American soil. Immediate glory for those who will be called the "Musketeers", in honor of the famous novel by Alexandre Dumas. To honor these sportsmen, the French Tennis Federation bet big: it decided to build a sports stadium worthy of its new heroes.

 

Roland Garros the Aviator

 

The Stade Français, the club that until then organized the French internationals, offered to sell a court to the French Tennis Federation (FFT).

 

The only condition required for this transfer was that the site (3 hectares) be named after Roland-Garros, a club member and aviation pioneer who made the first successful crossing of the Mediterranean in 1913 .
The promise stands. In 1928, the French Open was held at the Roland-Garros stadium to become the French Open at Roland-Garros .

 

Inspired by the venue, the Musketeers maintained the Davis Cup they had won that same year, a tough victory over their great threat: the Americans. While Cochet was winning the singles tournament against his friend Lacoste.

 

The golden age of tennis

 

The golden age of tennis and clay courts then begins its great history. This ocher-colored land became the symbol of the victories of the world's tennis stars.

 

The Swedish Björn Borg who has won the tournament with the fewest number of games played with 32, the German tennis player Steffi Graf, the Czech Ivan Lendl ... Or Mats Wilander, from Sweden, who in 1983 gave his title to the French Yannick Noah, the Last tricolor player to put his name on the winners list since 1946.

 

Over the years, the Parisian tournament has grown steadily on the French and international scene to become the largest clay court competition in the world today. It is one of the toughest tennis tournaments too.

 

Its stars are the "marathon runners" of professional tennis, very high playing conditions are required: slow surface, long exchanges, with matches - sometimes endless - played in 5 sets for men and 3 for women.

 

Rafael Nadal and Roland Garros

 

Spanish tennis player Rafa Nadal began his historic dominance at the Roland Garros tournament on May 23, 2005, the day he won the first match he played in the 'Grand Slam' in Paris and the starting point of an endless series of feats up to 12 titles, and which this year marks 15 years.

 

In 2019 Rafael Nadal made history by winning his twelfth title at Roland Garros. We wish the "King of Clay" good luck in this new edition!

 

Meeting point for fashion and celebrities

 

Paris, capital of fashion, also finds its extension on the side of the Porte d'Auteuil during the fortnight of Roland-Garros. In the stands of the stadium, famous Parisians - and internationals - meet who star on the covers of the corázon magazines during the dates of the Parisian Grand Slam.

 

Fashion also carries its brands there. And the most prestigious brands make the event a showcase for French art de vivre.

 

The modernization of Roland Garros

 

Although the success of this sporting competition was undeniable, the Auteuil Gate complex had become too narrow. Since 2019, new facilities have been built.

 

The majestic new court at Simonne-Matthieu, named after the tennis player who won the tournament 12 times in the 1930s and a member of General de Gaulle's resistance during the Nazi occupation, was built in the heart of the southern part from the Jardin des Serres botanical gardens, next to the Bois de Boulogne. This human-sized arena seats 5,290 people in a refined grandstand with light-colored wooden seats. A union between sport and nature!

 

A new Village was inaugurated, built on terraces around a central, wood-covered courtyard. It has 17 spaces to welcome members.

 

The legendary Philippe-Chatrier central courtyard has been renovated and equipped with a retractable roof and Vosges wooden seats. Three new courts have been opened.

 

A new playing court for a new era of French tennis: this is the wish of all fans of the little yellow ball in France and elsewhere, and it has come true!

 

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