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The main draw of the 2025 French Open is on the cusp of beginning in a few days. The men's and women's singles competitions at the Major, which is the only claycourt tournament held annually at the level, are both set to last for an entire fortnight.
Many fans are likely to attend the event for the first time this year, and a walkthrough would go a long way in them enjoying their time to the fullest.
The tournament, also coloquially known as Roland Garros, is held annually in the time period of May-June. It has stood the test of time, previously having been as the only one of the four Majors that weren't played on grass. Instead, red clay, or locally known as terre battue (which directly translated to "beaten earth"), has been employed at the event. But these details are quite basic and are known by most fans.
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Below, we take a deep dive into what makes the experience of attending the French Open exciting by answering some key questions:
Why is Roland Garros also called the French Open? A look into the claycourt Major's rich history
The French Open has been annually held midway through the year since 1891. While the first few editions of the tournament were held at different venues such as Societé de Sport de Île de Puteaux, Tennis Club de Paris, Croix-Catelan de Racing Club de France, and Stade Français at Saint-Cloud, the Major ultimately found its home at Stade Roland-Garros in 1928.
Initially constructed to host France's 1927 Davis Cup title defense, the stadium became the site of the tournament soon after. The stadium and the claycourt Major are both named after the World War I aviator and French pioneer Roland Garros.
The main court, Philippe Chatrier, housed inside the Stade-Roland Garros is quite the aesthetic marvel with a grey, sleek metal facade, a retractable roof, and an abundance of seats inside.
What else does the French Open venue have to offer for tennis enthusiasts?
Besides Court Philippe-Chatrier, the venue also has Court Suzanne-Lenglen, Court Simonne-Mathieu, Court No. 14, and other smaller outside courts. Fans who are unable to catch the live action on any of these courts can also watch the matches unfold on the giant TV screen beside Philippe Chatrier.
There is a lot of greenery surrounding the courts but one of the most underrated points of attraction that every devout tennis fan must visit is the Tenniseum, which was opened by the French Federation de Tennis (FFT) in 2003 and displays several artifacts chronicling the history of the French Open.
The museum displays the men's and women's singles trophies — Coupe des Mousquetaires and Coupe Suzanne Lenglen — some interesting media like books, magazines, videos of old matches, and also tennis memorabilia like old rackets dating back to the 19th century.
Why is Rafael Nadal considered the "King of Clay"?
Even casual fans would be well aware of how Rafael Nadal monopolized the French Open between 2005 and 2022, winning 14 Major titles on the famed terre battue. No other player, male or female, has enjoyed as many triumphs at a Grand Slam tournament.
The Spaniard, who is set to be honored in a ceremony at Stade Roland-Garros ahead of the tournament kick-off, was so dominant at the claycourt event that he was eulogized with a statue in 2021, which can be found near the general public entrance gate.
Who are the top players headlining this year's French Open?
Carlos Alcaraz and Iga Swiatek are the defending champions at the 2025 French Open. While Alcaraz won his lone title at the claycourt Major last year in thrilling fashion, Swiatek continued her dominance by nabbing her third consecutive trophy in Paris.
The two players will have their hands full during the next fortnight though, with their respective rivals, Jannik Sinner and Aryna Sabalenka, looking to win their first title at the tournament.
Besides the above four players, some of the outside favorites for the second Major of the year in men's and women's singles include Coco Gauff, Novak Djokovic, and Mirra Andreeva, among other big names.
What is the scoring system at the French Open? Explaining the concept of deuce, advantage, game, and set
Those new to following tennis would probably be bewildered at the intricacies of the scoring system (because why does 15-0 and 30-0 not lead to 45-0? It doesn't make any sense!). A player has to win four points against his opponent to win a single game, and if both players are tied at 40-40, it's called a "deuce".
A difference-of-two-points format, i.e. first to win two points in succession, is employed, and if the player wins the first point from the right side of the service line, they lead "Advantage-In".
Similarly, a player needs to win six games to secure a set, with the caveat that a difference-of-two-games format is employed if the set score goes to 5-5. If both players split the first 12 games of the set, a tiebreaker is needed to decide it.
While men's singles employs the best-of-five sets format, their female counterparts play best-of-three.
Where to watch the men's and women's singles competitions at the 2025 edition of the French Open?
For those watching from home, they can catch the men's and women's singles action in Paris on the following channels:
USA - TNT Sports, HBO Max, truTV, Tennis Channel
UK - TNT, Eurosport
Canada - TSN, RDS
Australia - 9Now, Stan Sport
India - Sony TEN
France - FranceTV, Amazon Prime
For more information, you can check out the full list of broadcasters across the world on the French Open's website.
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