ROLAND GARROS PARIS, FRANCE MAY 22 - JUN 05 2016

TOURNAMENT INFO

TIER: Grand Slams
PRIZE MONEY: $0

SURFACE: Clay
DIRECTOR: Guy Forget

In the last week of May, the greats of the tennis world descend upon Paris for the year's second Grand Slam and the climax of the European clay court season - the French Open.

Named after renowned French aviator Roland Garros, the tournament, under its various guises, dates back to 1891 and has long been viewed as one of the highlights on the tennis calendar. In its formative years the competition, then staged at the capital's Stade Français club, was open only to members of French clubs, and it was not until 1925 that the French Tennis Federation decided to open its doors to overseas entrants.

With this expansion, and the growth in popularity of the sport on the continent, came the need for a new site. And in 1928 the tournament made the short journey to Porte d'Auteuil, where it has stayed ever since. The newly internationalized event saw winners from nine countries in the inter- and post-war period, including the USA, Great Britain, Germany and, naturally, France. Another important milestone in the evolution of the tournament came in 1968, when Roland Garros ushered in the Open Era by becoming the first Grand Slam to embrace professionalism. The 1970s and 1980s proved to be a golden period in the tournament's history, with seven-time champion Chris Evert, six-time winner Steffi Graf and Martina Navratilova all vying for supremacy on the terre battue.

The following decades saw new names write themselves into French Open folklore, as Monica Seles, Arantxa Sánchez Vicario, Justine Henin and Serena Williams all captured the Coupe Suzanne Lenglen on multiple occasions. Maria Sharapova became the sixth player of the Open Era to capture the career Grand Slam with her run to the title in 2012, and she was victorious again in 2014. Other 21st century winners include Jennifer Capriati and Li Na, who became the first Asian Grand Slam champion in 2011.

In 2006, the tournament furthered its reputation for breaking the mold by announcing that main draw action would commence on Sunday, as opposed to the usual Monday start day and to date remains the only Grand Slam that conducts play on three consecutive Sundays.