5 oldest French Open women's singles champions in the Open Era, ft. Serena Williams and Steffi Graf

The French Open women's singles event has been a fairly open one in the Open Era, especially in the last few years.

Since 1968, as many as 30 women have won 54 different editions of the competition. Of those, nine have accounted for 33 titles. Interestingly, the last seven French Open women's singles titles have been won by as many different women, with Barbora Krejcikova the latest to do so in 2021.

Not many women in their late 20s or 30s have won the Suzanne Lenglen trophy. Nevertheless, here's a look at the five oldest ladies' singles winners at the French Open in the Open Era:

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#5 Francesca Schiavone (2010) - 29 years, 347 days

2010 French Open - Day 14

Francesca Schiavone made history when she beat Samantha Stosur to win the 2010 French Open ladies' singles title.

The 29-year-old enjoyed a dream fortnight in the French capital, dropping only two sets. She needed three sets to beat Regina Kulikova in the first round before upsetting top seed Serena Williams 8-6 in the third set of her quarterfinal.

Schiavone made short work of Jelena Jankovic in the semis, dropping only three games before beating Stosur in straight sets to win the biggest title of her career. In the process, Schiavone became the first Italian woman to win a singles Major and the first seed outside the top 10 to win the French Open.

It was also the first final featuring two first-time Grand Slam finalists in nearly a decade. Schiavone remains the last single-hander to win a women's singles Major title.

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#4 Steffi Graf (1999) - 29 years, 356 days

Steffi Graf won her sixth French Open title in 1999

Steffi Graf is one of the most decorated athletes in women's tennis, having won 22 Grand Slam singles titles. She won every Major at least four times, including six triumphs at Roland Garros.

The German's sixth and last title in Paris came in 1999, nine days short of her 30th birthday. It was also her last Major triumph, recovering from a set down to beat Swiss teenager Martina Hingis. Seeded sixth that year, Graf beat third seed Lindsay Davenport in the quarterfinals, second seed Monica Seles in the semis and top seed Hingis in the final, dropping a set in all three matches.

In the process, she became the first woman to beat the world's top three players at the same Grand Slam. Her victory over Hingis denied the Swiss the opportunity to complete a career Grand Slam as Graf signed off from Roland Garros with a solid 84-10 record.

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#3 Margaret Court (1973) - 30 years, 321 days

Margaret Court (right) won her third French Open title in the Open Era in 1973

Margaret Court is the all-time leader - men and women - atop the Grand Slam singles leaderboard. Her 24 Major titles comprise five triumphs at the French Open, including three in the Open Era.

Court won her fifth Roland Garros title in 1973. That year, the top seed dropped her only set of the week against future record seven-time French Open winner Chris Evert.

The Australian recovered from losing the first set on a tie-break to hand Evert what would be her first of two Roland Garros final reverses in nine attempts.

Court also won the women's doubles title that year, becoming the second player in as many years and seventh overall to do the double at Roland Garros.

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#2 Chris Evert (1986) - 31 years, 168 days

Chris Evert (right) won her seventh Roland Garros title in 1986

Chris Evert is one of the most decorated women's singles players of all time. She has won 18 Grand Slam singles titles, winning each Major at least twice, and is a record seven-time winner at the French Open.

Making her 11th visit to the claycourt Major in 1986, Evert won her first three rounds without dropping a set. She dropped a set apiece in her next two matches to make the semis for the 11th straight time, dropping only two games in the last-four clash against Hana Mandlikova.

In the final against old foe Martina Navratilova, Evert recovered from a set down to successfully defend her title, her seventh at the tournament. In the process, she became the oldest woman to win the ladies' singles title at the French Open.

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#1 Serena Williams (2015) - 33 years, 258 days

Serena Williams (right) at the 2015 French Open - Day 14

Serena Williams created history with her third win at Roland Garros in 2015. The American didn't enjoy the most serene fortnight, dropping a set in five of her seven matches.

Williams had to recover from a set down four times in five matches to make the final against first-time Major finalist Lucie Safarova. A routine victory looked to be in the offing when Williams won the first set for only the third time that fortnight in Paris.

However, the Czech left-hander forced a decider, taking the second set on a tie-break. The then 33-year-old Williams, though, regrouped to win 6-2 in the third to win her third Roland Garros title. In the process, she became the oldest woman to win the singles title at the tournament, breaking Chris Evert's near three-decade-old record.

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