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After an exciting year of tennis, the spotlight shines again on the upcoming season. One fixture in the international tennis calendar that stands out is the Roland Garros, the French Open. The prestigious fixture that stands out as a beacon in the tennis realm is one event that the entire world looks upon anxiously.
While it is very early to bring conclusions about the victor of this prestigious fixture in 2023, we've compiled everything you need to know about the Roland Garros 2023 - from Roland Garros tickets to important dates.
When will it take place?
Usually held during the final week of May, the dates for the 2023 edition of the Roland-Garros are finalised. The 2023 event will take place from May 28th to June 11th, 2023.The defending champion
It was a historic win for Spain's Rafael Nadal, who went on to win his 14th Roland-Garros title, defeating Norway's Casper Ruud.It was way back in 2005 when Nadal won his first title in France, and 17 years later, he was renewing the history books, fighting through injuries to win his 14th title on french soil. "The King of Clay" lived up to expectations with a convincing win over Casper Ruud 6-3, 6-3, & 6-0 to make his 14th title and his 22nd career Grand Slam.
The battle felt like an easy way home for the Spaniard, with the volumes of experience under his belt, and it clearly showed in the final set.
Nadal was truly unrelenting in the third set, and Ruud felt he had no answers for his counterpart.
The match ended, giving Nadal a famous win as the King celebrated the triumph with his head in his hands. His record stat in the Roland Garros 112-3 continues, and he's never lost a final. Everyone on the main court with Roland Garros tickets witnessed a spectacular display of tennis action that day.
On the women's side, Poland's Iga Swiatek won the women's singles - her second Roland Garros in 3 years. She defeated first-time Grand Slam finalist Coco Gauff in straight sets.
Here are all the other 2022 champions:
Men's doubles: Marcelo Arévalo / Jean-Julien Rojer
Women's doubles: Caroline Garcia / Kristina Mladenovic
Mixed doubles: Ena Shibahara / Wesley Koolhof
Wheelchair men's singles: Shingo Kunieda
Wheelchair women's singles: Diede de Groot
Wheelchair quad singles: Niels Vink
Wheelchair men's doubles: Alfie Hewett / Gordon Reid
Wheelchair women's doubles: Diede de Groot / Aniek van Koot
Wheelchair quad doubles: Sam Schröder / Niels Vink
Boys' singles: Gabriel Debra
Girls' singles: Lucie Havlíckova
Boys' doubles: Edas Butvilas / Mili Poljicak
Girls' doubles: Sára Bejlek / Lucie Havlíckova
The first Roland Garros
It was in 1881 that the first rendition of the Roland Garros took place. Earlier it was known as the Championnat de France or the French Championship. At the time, only French club members participated in the event.It was only in 1897 that the first women's singles tournament occurred. Later, in 1902, the mixed doubles event was added, and the women's doubles in 1907. Between 1915-1919, no contest took place due to the war.
In 1925, the French Tennis Association opened the French Championship to all amateurs internationally after the world war and became a major championship designated by the International Lawn Tennis Federation. The first international event of this nature occurred in clay courts at the Stade Français in Saint-Cloud in 1925 and 1927.
Who are the trophies named after?
The men's singles title is the Coupe des Mousquetaires, commonly known as 'The Musketeers' Cup', and is named in honour of the "Four Musketeers". The women's singles winner has received the Coupe Suzanne Lenglen (the Suzanne Lenglen Cup) since 1979.Each year, the trophies are manufactured by Mellerio dits Meller, a famed Parisian jewellery house made out of pure silver and decorated with decorations.
Who has the most titles?
The 'King of Clay', Rafael Nadal, has the record for 14 men's singles at Roland Garros, and this is also the most by any player at a single Grand Slam event. Between 2005, and 2022, Nadal was the most accomplished player in the French Open.American national Chris Evert has seven titles, the most by a woman in the French Open. French legend Suzanne Lenglen and German Steffi Graf are in second place, with 6 titles.
Do the courts at Roland Garros have a roof?
The Court Philippe Chatrier has a roof, unveiled in 2021. Court Suzanne Lenglend, the second largest court, currently does not have one, but plans are underway for a new development that is set to be ready by 2024 in line with the Paris Olympics. Fans with Roland Garros tickets for the main court (Court Philippe Chatrier) are fortunate to have uninterrupted action in the 2023 edition.Will there be night sessions?
Night sessions and night Roland Garros tickets were first introduced post-Covid, in the 2021 event, and it stole the spotlight. These night games continued to the 2023 edition and will also be a part of next year's tournament. The shift from day to night games sparked more fans' interest; now, there is a higher demand for Roland Garros tickets than ever before.Greatest Triumphs - Roland Garros
Throughout its 100+ years, the French Open has savoured sensational moments in the sport's history. Here are two of the recent ones.Equal reward
Marking a massive step to curb inequality in sport, Christian Times, the President of the French Tennis Federation, announced that the Roland Garros would reward equally for men and women. With Wimbledon announcing that year, the French Open became the last Grand Slam to acknowledge equal pay.The US Open was the first to do so in 1973.
Roger Federer's 1st Roland Garros
On June 7th, 2009, Federer beat Robin Soderling 6-1, 7-6, 6-4 to claim his first Roland Garros after being defeated by Nadal in three consecutive finals. On his way to the title, Federer was fortunate to see Nadal exit the tournament in the 4th round, and with this feat, he equalled Pete Sampras' record for 14 Grand Slams.Seles became the youngest winner
On June 9th, 1990, Monica Seles defeated Steffi Graff 7-6, 6-4 in the final to be the youngest to win a Roland Garros and a Grand Slam title. At just 16 years and six months, the Yugoslav marked the start of a new era in tennis, surpassing Graf, who had dominated the game since 1987 without any stiff competition.Roland Garros Tickets
Official sources are always everyone's go-to destination for Roland Garros tickets. While the official sources can get complicated to source a ticket, trusted reseller platforms always find a way to source exclusive Roland Garros tickets for every fan.It can feel like a little too early to search for Roland Garros tickets, but they are limited, and the entire world waits to purchase them.
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