French Open History

The French Open's history is a mix of yesteryear’s star-studded events, current and much-anticipated hardcore athletic competitions. It is a highlight of the year in tennis and plenty of game aficionados save up their funds to attend the matches at least once in a lifetime.

Yet even though this event is very much anticipated, only a few viewers and even only some participants know of the odder parts that make up the French Open's history. For example, it is a little known fact of French Open history that the tournament is actually referred to as “Les Internationaux de France de Roland Garros.”

A closer look at the French Open's history reveals that players meet up on slower red clay courts, which is an idiosyncrasy that has not changed even as other tennis tournaments switched to green clay, hard courts or other surfaces. Of course, the event did not become a true Open until 1968 when pros were finally permitted to enter the competition alongside the amateurs. It was not until the example set by the April 1968 Bournemouth Classic that the French Open's history records this momentous step.

In its most recent history, the organizers addressed the pay gap between male and female winners that remained in place until 2007 when officials announced that--going forward--prize moneys would be equal. There are still plenty of plans and considerations that may become French Open history sooner rather than later. For example, the French Tennis Federation is currently considering moving the event from Roland Garros, and perhaps even Paris, if city fathers cannot agree to an expansion of the venue.