French Open — History, Guide & Past Champions

Roland-Garros: the clay major that bends the whole season toward Paris

Roland-Garros is the only Grand Slam played on clay, and that single fact reorders the sport every spring. First contested in the 1890s and moved in 1928 to its purpose-built stadium on the western edge of Paris — named for the World War I aviator Roland Garros — it sits at the end of the European dirt swing, the destination earned through Monte Carlo, Madrid and the Italian Open.

The crushed-brick surface is the entire identity. Clay slows the ball and kicks it high, neutralizing flat first-strike tennis and rewarding the players who can slide, construct points across 20-plus strokes, and physically last five sets across a fortnight. It is the most attritional major on tour — heavy conditions, long rallies, and best-of-five matches that routinely push past four hours. Court Philippe-Chatrier's retractable roof, added in 2020, is the only concession to the elements; the daytime sessions still run largely uncovered.

The recent champions roll-call is short and elite. Carlos Alcaraz won back-to-back titles, the first over Alexander Zverev in 2024 and the second in a five-set final against Jannik Sinner in 2025 that he won via three tiebreak sets after dropping the opening two. Before that, Novak Djokovic closed out his three-set 2023 final against Casper Ruud to take the trophy — part of an era when the men's title rarely strayed from a handful of hands.

The most recent edition broke that pattern. Zverev claimed his maiden major here, beating Flavio Cobolli in a five-set final, dropping sets two and four before closing 6-1 in the fifth — a first Slam for one of the tour's longest-waiting contenders and a reminder that even on the most predictable surface, Paris can still tip.

Past champions

Every French Open champion on The Drop Shot — 4 editions from 2023 to 2026. Mirra Andreeva and Alexander Zverev won the most recent edition (2026).

Most French Open titles on record: Carlos Alcaraz (2), Iga Swiatek (2).