PARIS (Reuters) -The French Open is a claycourt Grand Slam tournament organised by the French Tennis Federation. It was first held in 1891 and originally known as the French Championships or Championnat de France.
The French Open is also referred to as Roland Garros after the venue it is staged at, which was named after French fighter pilot and aviator Roland Garros.
Here is what you need to know about the year’s second major:
WHEN IS THE FRENCH OPEN HAPPENING?
* This year’s French Open runs from May 25 to June 8.
WHERE IS THE FRENCH OPEN TAKING PLACE?
* The French Open is held in Paris every year.
* The three main showcourts are Court Philippe Chatrier, Court Suzanne Lenglen and Court Simonne Mathieu.
* Court Philippe Chatrier (capacity 15,225) is named after former French Tennis Federation president Philippe Chatrier. It has been the centrepiece of the Roland Garros complex since it was opened in 1928.
* Court Suzanne Lenglen (capacity 10,068) is named in honour of French great Suzanne Lenglen. It was opened in 1994 and named Court A initially. Like Chatrier, it has seen its fair share of historic battles.
* Court Simonne Mathieu (capacity 5,000) is the newest of the main showcourts and was inaugurated in 2019. It was named after French tennis player Simonne Mathieu.
WHO IS INVOLVED IN THE FRENCH OPEN?
* The top-ranked players automatically enter the main draw, with 32 seeds announced prior to the draw to ensure they do not meet in the early rounds. Seedings are based on world rankings determined by the points players collect on the tour.
* Holder Carlos Alcaraz of Spain is the men’s world number three and claimed the third of his four major titles at the 2024 French Open, beating Alexander Zverev of Germany in the final.
* Poland’s Iga Swiatek, the women’s world number two, won her fourth French Open trophy and third in succession in 2024, defeating Jasmine Paolini of Italy in the final.
* Organisers also hand out wildcards for local hopes and notable players who have dropped down the rankings.
TOP RANKED PLAYERS
MEN
1 Jannik Sinner (Italy)
2 Alexander Zverev (Germany)
3 Carlos Alcaraz (Spain)
4 Taylor Fritz (United States)
5 Jack Draper (Britain)
6 Novak Djokovic (Serbia)
7 Casper Ruud (Norway)
8 Alex de Minaur (Australia)
9 Lorenzo Musetti (Italy)
10 Holger Rune (Denmark)
WOMEN
1 Aryna Sabalenka (Belarus)
2 Iga Swiatek (Poland)
3 Coco Gauff (United States)
4 Jessica Pegula (United States)
5 Jasmine Paolini (Italy)
6 Madison Keys (United States)
7 Mirra Andreeva (Russia)
8 Zheng Qinwen (China)
9 Emma Navaro (United States)
10 Paula Badosa (Spain)
WHERE TO WATCH THE FRENCH OPEN ON TV
The full list of official broadcasters of the French Open in each country can be found here.
France: France TV Sport, Prime Video
Europe (All regions except France): Eurosport
Austria: Wide World of Sports and Stan. SPORT
New Zealand: Sky
South Korea: CJ ENM
Belgium: RTBF
Switzerland: SRG SSR
Asia (All territories): beIN Sports
Sub-Saharan Africa: CANAL+ and SuperSport.
China: CMG, SportsIqiyi
Taiwan: eltaott
Vietnam: VTVcab
Japan: WOWOW
India: Sony Ten
North Africa and Middle East: beIN Sports
Brazil: ESPN
Canada: RDS TSN
Latin America: ESPN
USA: TNT, Max, Tru TV
(Compiled by Suramya Kaushik in Bengaluru, editing by Ed Osmond)
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