French Open: Youngest Champions at Roland Garros

The French Open is the only Grand Slam competition to be played on clay and that uniqueness means it is a tournament that can be dominated by individuals best suited to the slower conditions.

The recently-retired Rafael Nadal won the men’s tournament on 14 occasions, taking his first prize as an 18-year-old in 2005 and landing his final Major in Paris in 2022.

In the women’s event, Polish phenomenon Iga Swiatek is threatening to take the French Open by storm having won the Grand Slam in four of the last five seasons, the first of which came when she was just 19 in 2020.

However, Nadal and Swiatek are not the youngest champions to be crowned in the French capital and, with the second Grand Slam of the season fast approaching, we take a look at those that rose to stardom at a tender age. 

French Open: Youngest Men's Champions

Michael Chang: 1989 – 17 years, 3 months (Start of tournament age)

American ace Michael Chang etched his name in the history books with his French Open success in 1989, becoming the youngest man in history to win a Slam.

Seeded 15th, Chang had to do things the hard way, coming from two sets down to defeat top seed Ivan Lendl in a five-set thriller in the fourth round, before outclassing Ronald Agenor and Andrei Chesnokov to make the title decider.

Chang faced third seed and former world number one Stefan Edberg in the final and he overcame inexperience to prevail in an epic fifth set.

That is as good as it got for Chang, however, as he failed to win another Grand Slam title, losing in all three subsequent finals.

Mats Wilander: 1982 – 17 years, 9 months

Mats Wilander’s 1982 French Open triumph makes him the third youngest male Slam champion ever and the second youngest at Roland Garros.

The Swedish star had never won an ATP Tour title prior to his heroics in Paris and he was the junior winner just 12 months prior.

However, he showed maturity beyond his years to overcome Lendl and Vitas Gerulaitis on his way to the final.

Wilander defeated former champion Guillermo Vilas in four sets to take the title and that was his first of seven Grand Slam titles, with him also taking the French Open crown in 1985 and 1988.

Bjorn Borg: 1974 – 17 years, 11 months

Bjorn Borg has become one of tennis’ biggest ever icons but it was his French Open success in 1974 which provided him with the platform to go all the way to the top.

The third seed outclassed Raul Ramirez and Harold Solomon to make his maiden major final and set up a showdown with Manuel Orantes.

Borg had to show great spirit to take the title, having fallen two sets down, but he dropped only two games in closing out the final three sets to eventually win in dominant style.

The Swede went on to win 11 Grand Slam titles, with six of those successes coming in the French capital.

French Open: Youngest Women's Champions

Monica Seles: 1990 – 16 years, 6 months (Start of tournament age)

Monica Seles produced one of sport’s greatest ever achievements when winning her maiden Grand Slam title at the French Open in 1990, as she did so aged just 16 years and six months.

The teenage sensation battled past Manuela Maleeva, Jennifer Capriati and Steffi Graf in her final three Paris assignments and she dropped only two sets on her way to glory.

The future world number one went on to win three straight French Open titles, with her going on to rack up nine Grand Slam wins.

Arantxa Sanchez Vicario: 1989 – 17 years, 5 months

The season before Seles won her maiden French Open, Sanchez Vicario had become the youngest ever champion with the first of her four Grand Slam titles coming in 1989.

Aged just 17 years of age, the Spaniard made serene progress through the draw and in defeating Jana Novotna and Mary Joe Fernandez in the quarter-final and semi-final she dropped only eight games.

The seventh seed knew she was in for a battle in her final with German world number one Graf and, despite trailing 5-3 in the deciding set, she found a way to prevail to win her first of three French Open titles.

Steffi Graf: 1987 – 17 years, 11 months

Only Margaret Court and Serena Williams have won more Grand Slam titles than 22-time Major winner Graf and the first of those came at the 1987 French Open.

The 17-year-old lined up against Martina Navratilova in the final and triumphed 8-6 in a deciding set to take the first of her six French Open titles.

Graf featured in four straight French Open finals from 1987 to 1990, winning back-to-back titles before runner-up efforts to Sanchez Vicario and Seles.