Historians believe that tennis originated in France, so it only makes sense that the French Open has the widest coverage among tennis events. It is considered to be one of the finest events in the entire sport, and few would question the superiority of the event when it comes to other clay court tournaments.
Formally referred to as Les internationaux de France de Roland-Garros, the French Open is probably the most physically demanding of any competition.
The slow surface, though, is not the only thing that makes the contest so incredibly difficult. The five-set matches in the men’s singles department are grueling, and this part of the event has no tiebreak in the final set. It is an affair that will put even the finest athletes through their paces, and make them prove that they are ready to truly hit the big time.
The clay courts truly define the French Open, and give the ball a slow characteristic. On top of this, the courts have a great deal of bounce. Many serve and volley players do not enjoy playing under these conditions, and those who try to pull off big serves might very well be disappointed. Players like Venus Williams and Boris Becker may very well have won multiple events in the Grand Slam series, but their fast styles are not well suited to the courts used in the French Open. Interestingly, Andy Roddick has one of the fastest serves in history, yet he never moved beyond the fourth round in the French Open. This illustrates the level to which the material used as a surface shapes the event’s identity.
Nevertheless, players like Ivan Lendl and Bjorn Borg have found their styles to be well matched to the competition. A few players, like Borg, Agassi and Nadal, have won Wimbledon as well as the French Open. Owing to the difference in grass courts and the clay ones used at the French Open, this is actually a particularly difficult task. However, without this level of difficulty, the tournament would surely not be as esteemed as it is by both commentators and fans.
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