His name comes up again and again when we consult the history of the tournament. Since the beginning of the 2000s, Rafael Nadal has placed his name on the Roland-Garros prize list on numerous occasions. Among the men, the table of winners changes little, with only four different champions since 2005 and the Spaniard’s first title.
On the women’s side, Iga Swiatek has also established her dominance for several seasons, after several years of instability at the top. Even if the Pole is still far from the record for titles won at Porte d’Auteuil, held by the American Chris Evert.
The latest winners: Djoko, Rafa and Iga
Last season, Novak Djokovic won for the third time in his career in the Roland-Garros final. The Serbian had beaten the Norwegian Casper Ruud, already beaten at this stage by Rafael Nadal in 2022. The Spaniard has also won all editions of the tournament since 2005, with the exception of 2009 (Roger Federer), 2015 (Stanislas Wawrinka ), 2016, 2021, and therefore 2023 (Novak Djokovic).
Among the women, Iga Swiatek has had control over the tournament for four years. The Pole won Roland-Garros in 2020, 2022 and 2023, only letting the 2021 edition escape, to the benefit of the Czech Barbora Krejcikova. A novelty, since no player has managed to retain her crown since the hat-trick of Belgian Justine Henin, between 2005 and 2007.
Title records: Nadal far from the others, Evert by a thread
Rafael Nadal is undoubtedly the most successful player in the history of Roland-Garros, having lifted the Coupe des Mousquetaires fourteen times. The Spaniard is placed far ahead of his runner-up in the rankings, with more than double the number of victories, Björn Borg, champion six times between 1974 and 1981. But the Swede, a true rock star of the circuit in the 1970s, has retired very young, at 26 years old.
In the women’s rankings, the American Chris Evert sits in the ranking of the most successful players. Between 1974 and 1986, she collected seven trophies on the clay court of Porte d’Auteuil. However, she only has one more Suzanne-Lenglen Cup than the German Steffi Graf, victorious six times between 1987 and 1999. With three titles to her name, Iga Swiatek is still relatively far away. Even if, at only 22 years old (she will be 23 on May 31), she is on time to approach the record.
The youngest champions: Chang and Seles winners before reaching adulthood
In 1989, then aged 17 years and 3 months, Michael Chang achieved one of the greatest feats in tennis history. The American, after eliminating Ivan Lendl, the world number one, in the round of 16, reached the final of Roland-Garros. There he defeated Stefan Edberg and became the youngest winner of a Grand Slam tournament in history, a record he still holds. It is, moreover, the only triumph of his career in one of the four majors.
A season later, in 1990, the Yugoslav Monica Seles took the record for precocity among women. On June 10, she beat Steffi Graf in the final, who already had two successes at Porte d’Auteuil. At 16 years and 6 months, she won her first Grand Slam title, and retained her crown at Roland-Garros during the 1991 and 1992 editions.
The oldest winners in the Open era are Novak Djokovic, who won the title last year at 36 for men, and Serena Williams, crowned at 33 years and 8 months in 2015.
The titled French: only two in the Open era
Since 1968 and the beginning of the Open era, thanks to which all players can participate in Grand Slam tournaments (formerly, professionals could not compete), few French people have won at Roland-Garros. On the clay court of Porte d’Auteuil, only Yannick Noah achieved it among the men, in 1983. Before him and the Open era, the Mousquetaires René Lacoste, Henri Cochet, and Jean Borotra had registered their names on the list of winners. Just like Marcel Bernard.
Only one also elected in the women’s draw since the start of the Open era: Mary Pierce, in 2000. The Franco-American beat the Spaniard Conchita Martinez in two sets. Before her, Suzanne Lenglen, Simonne Mathieu, Nelly Adamson and Françoise Dürr registered their names on the list, but before the Open era.
