French Open: What is Roland Garros?

Roland Garros has been the venue for the French Open since 1928 and its famous red clay courts make it an iconic part of the Tour calendar.

The 2025 tournament will be the 129th edition of the Grand Slam, with the world’s top players once again heading to Paris.

What is Roland Garros?

Roland Garros is a tennis complex situated in the 16th arrondissement of Paris, which plays host to the second Grand Slam of each year.

Spread over 34 acres, there are 20 courts that can be used during the tournament, with both the men’s and women’s finals played on Court Philippe Chatrier.

The set-up was created in 1928 to host France’s first defence of the Davis Cup before then becoming the home of the French Open.

Who was Roland Garros?

The tennis venue was named after a pioneering French aviator of the same name, who died in October 1918 at the age of 29.

The pilot completed the first solo flight across the Mediterranean Sea, while he was also the inventor of the first forward-firing aircraft machine gun.

Garros, born in Saint-Denis, was a World War I hero before losing his life in aerial combat.

Roland Garros Courts

Court Philippe Chatrier

The main court of the complex was originally built in 1928 and named after the former French men’s singles player in 2021.

The stadium now holds 15,225 spectators after a rebuild in 2019, when the grandstands were made steeper before a retractable roof and floodlights were added in 2020.

The four main stands are named after four former players - Brugnon, Borotra, Cochet, Lacoste - who were given the nickname the Four Musketeers after Davis Cup success.

Court Suzanne Lenglen

Built in 1994, this was originally tagged as Court A but was then named after the very first female number one tennis player.

The stadium has a capacity of 10,068 fans and is the first court to have an underground irrigation system to control moisture levels.

A retractable roof was added prior to the 2024 Olympics and takes 15 minutes to close.

Court Simonne Mathieu

The newest of the showcourts at Roland Garros, this 5,000-seat arena was completed in March 2019.

The court was constructed four metres below ground level and has greenhouses on all four sides, having replaced the demolished old Court 1.