It’s that time of year again. Late spring is when tennis lovers start dreaming of clay courts and Paris scenery. The French Open is the second of the Grand Slam events that mark the high points of the tennis season. While some consider it to be a warm up for the more popular Wimbledon championships, the truth is that the French Open has it’s own history and traditions and is stands as a premiere event all on its own.
Established as a French national tournament in 1891, the Les internationeux de France de Roland-Garros also known as the Tournoi de Roland-Garros was originally limited to members of French tennis clubs. In 1925 the tournament was opened to international players, but limited to amateurs. It wasn’t until 1968 that the tournament became the first of the tennis Grand Slam events to allow both amateurs and professionals to compete, becoming a true Open tournament.
The french open is actually more popular than the other Grand Slams in terms of worldwide television audience. It is also considered by many tennis experts and fans to be the most physically demanding tennis tournament, due in a large part to the fact that clay courts are a much slower playing surface than grass or artificial surfaces.
This year’s event runs from May 17 thru May 25th. The reigning champions from 2010 are Francesca Schiavone and Rafael Nadal . Both are considered among the top contenders to win the 2011 French Open.
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