French Tennis Open

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Photo by flickr user Dionetian

Built in 1928 to host the Davis Cup final, the Stade Roland Garros has evolved over the years to become one of the finest sport venues in the world. The stadium has a foot in France’s tennis past, with many of the sites named in honour of famous French players, such as the celebrated musketeers Brugnon, Borotra, Lacoste and Cochet, and other people who have had an impact on French tennis.

The strong ties to the past give the French Open a certain grandiosity matched only by Wimbledon in the Grand Slam. Held at the end of May to the beginning of June the clay courts are considered as one of the most physically demanding playing surfaces and clay-court specialists such as Rafa Nadal attract high attendance to the prestigious event.

The prestigious event attracts a die-hard tennis audience, meaning that the casual tennis enthusiast can sometimes feel out of one’s depth. This shouldn’t stop you from attending though, as the physicality and technicality of the clay-court game is an intense spectacle.

Written by  John Johnston.

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