What kind of court is used at the French Open?

The French Open, popularly called Roland Garros, is the second Grand Slam event of the year. This edition of the tournament will commence on May 25, 2025, with the qualifying round starting on May 19, 2025. The tournament will conclude on June 8, 2025. The French Open winner in singles will be awarded a prize money of €2,550,000, with doubles players receiving €590,000. In addition to the prize money, the winner will receive around 2000 points.

The Championnat de France, referred to as the French Championships in English, began in 1891. Initially, the tournament was open to only French players. Later in 1925, all players internationally could participate in the tournament. Played at the Stade Garros Stadium, the tournament consists of singles, junior, doubles, mixed doubles, and wheelchair events. Rafael Nadal is called the King of Clay for winning the title 14 times. Iga Swiatek and Carlos Alcaraz won the French Open in 2024, defeating Jasmine Paolini and Alexander Zverev, respectively.

French Open Courts

Claycourt is used at the second tennis grand slam, the French Open. The court is considered slow, as balls lose their initial speed and bounce higher, making it difficult for the player to hit an unreturnable shot. The court usually favours baseliners who play a strong defensive game, such as Chris Evert, Bjorn Borg, and Rafael Nadal. On the other hand, many players like Pete Sampras, Venus Williams, Boris Becker, and Andy Murray never won the title.

The tournament is organised at the Stade Roland Garros. The stadium consists of twenty courts with three main courts - Court Suzanne-Lenglen, Court Simonne-Mathieu, and Court Philippe-Chatrier. Court Philippe-Chatrier was built in 1928 with a seating capacity of 15,225 viewers. In 2018, the stadium was constructed again from scratch for the next year's tournament. Proper floodlights and a retractable roof were added to the stadium in 2020.

Court Suzanne-Lenglen, also designated as Court A, was built in 1994 with a seating capacity of 10,068. It was named after Suzanne-Lenglen, a former tennis player who won six French Opens and was known as La Divine. A retractable roof was added to the stadium at the 2024 Olympic Games, inspired by Suzanne-Lenglen's pleated skirt.

The third main court where matches of the French Open are played is the Court Simonne-Mathieu. Built in March 2019, it has a seating capacity of 5000 and was named after a champion of the French Resistance during World War II.

What kind of clay is used for Roland Garros?

The hallowed red dirt made of bricks is used at the French Open clay courts. Red clay favours those players who hit topspin, slice, and drop shots. As per Roland Garros' official website, 1.1 tons of red clay are used to build a court. It is estimated that the Court Philippe-Chatrier is built with 1.5 tons of clay.

There is a two-inch layer of red clay laid on the surface. There are eight people required for the preparation of a court. 100 people are responsible for the maintenance of the court during the tournament.

The composition of clay consists of:

1. Crushed White Limestone of 6-7 cm.

2. Red Brick Dust of 1-2 mm

3. Crushed Gravel of at least 30 cm

4. Clinker (Coal Residue) of 7-8 cm

5. Drain

Also Read: Do ball boys get paid in Roland Garros?

Where does Roland Garros clay come from?

The red clay of the Roland Garros comes from a factory in Oise, which is located 100 km north of Paris (via WTATennis).

How deep is the clay at Roland Garros?

The courts at Roland Garros are made of five layers, each approximately 80 cm deep. The first layer of 1.1 tons of crushed bricks is two millimeters deep. It includes 20 tons for a three-week tournament. The next layer is of limestone, which is seven to ten cm deep. It follows a crushed coal of four inches, followed by the biggest layer of crushed gravel. Crushed gravel makes up around 30 cm of the clay court. The last layer in the preparation of the court is for the draining material.