The French Open is underway, and while we wait to see who will be crowned king and queen of clay, we’re taking a look some of the fascinating history and facts behind one of the world’s major tennis tournaments:
# 1. The French Open venue is named after the French fighter pilot Roland Garros. He was the first man to fly over the Mediterranean Sea and helped invent and popularize the front-mounted machine gun. He was an avid attendant to the tennis centre in Paris – so much so that the stadium was named after him.
# 2. Founded in 1891, the French Open has been held every year since, except from 1939 to 1945, due to the 2
nd World War. Unofficial tournaments were held during wartime, but only French nationals were allowed to compete.
# 3. Roland Garros is the smallest of all the Grand Slam tennis venues, less than half the size of any other stadium.
Image Source: rolandgarros.com
# 4. While often described as clay, the surface that matches are played on isn’t actually made of clay at all, but three inches of white limestone and a powdering of red brick dust that gives it its distinctive colour.
Image Source: foxsportsasia.com
# 5. Only 5 unseeded players have ever won the French Open. Marcel Bernard (1946), Mats Wilander (1982), Gustavo Kuerten (1997), Gaston Gaudio (2004), and Margaret Scriven (1933).
Image Source: tennis.com
# 6. In France, the tournament is not known as the French Open, but simply as Roland Garros.
# 7. The French Open has only ever seen 5 French winners. The last French man to have won the Roland Garros title was Yannick Noah in 1983 and the last French woman to win was Mary Pierce who claimed her title in 2000.
Image Source: edition.cnn.com
# 8. Rafael Nadal holds the men’s record for most French Open wins with ten victories. Chris Evert holds the women’s record with seven of her own titles.
Image Source: edition.cnn.com
# 9. In 2004, Arnaud Clement and Fabrice Santoro played in, what was then, the longest match in the history of tennis in the opening round of the French Open. That record has since been broken by the 11-hour clash between John Isner and Nicolas Mahut at Wimbledon in 2010.
# 10. Michael Chang and Arantxa Sanchez Vicario not only won the men’s and women’s Roland Garros titles respectively in 1989, but both of them were both under 18 years of age when they won it.
Image Source: sports.vice.com
In the end, the French Open is steeped in history and we could spend days analysing all of the statistics, facts and records the tournament has brought us. However, with the tournament currently underway, you should head over to place a bet on all of the explosive tennis action with one of Ghana's leading online tennis betting brands, Betway.
For all the latest sports news, betting tips and promotions, follow Betway on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Google+ and YouTube. Download the Betway App.