Roland-Garros

• 08 Jun 2023

Why in News?

The Stade Roland Garros in Paris is hosting the Roland-Garros tournament also known as the French Open, which took place from May 28, 2023, until June 11, 2023.

What is Roland-Garros?

• About:
  • Roland-Garros is one of the four Grand Slam tournaments in tennis, along with the Australian Open, Wimbledon and the US Open. It is held over two weeks at the Stade Roland Garros in Paris, France.
  • It is the only Grand Slam event played on clay courts, which makes it the most physically demanding and tactically challenging tournament in the world.
• History and Significance of Roland-Garros:
  • The tournament and venue are named after Roland Garros, a French aviator who was the first person to fly across the Mediterranean Sea in 1913.
    • He was also a pioneer of aerial warfare during World War I and died in combat in 1918.
  • The tournament was first held in 1891 as a national championship for French players only.
    • It became open to international players in 1925 and moved to its current location in 1928.
    • It was the first Grand Slam tournament to join the “Open” era in 1968, allowing both amateurs and professionals to compete.

Note: Rafal Nadal has won a record 14 titles at Roland-Garros, including four consecutive ones from 2005 to 2008 and five consecutive ones from 2010 to 2014. He also holds the record for the most match wins (105) and the highest winning percentage (98.2%) at the tournament. Unfortunately, he is not participating in the Roland-Garros 2023 tournament.

• Major Features:
  • French Fair: Roland-Garros is not only a tennis tournament, but also a cultural and artistic event that showcases the French flair and elegance. Courts: Roland-Garros has 20 courts, including three main show courts: Court Philippe-Chatrier, Court Suzanne-Lenglen and Court Simonne-Mathieu.
    • The courts are made of crushed brick and limestone, which give them their distinctive red colour and slow down the ball speed.
  • Major Trophies: The two of the most iconic trophies in the event are: the Coupe des Mousquetaires (Musketeers’ Trophy) for men and the Coupe Suzanne-Lenglen (Suzanne Lenglen Trophy) for women.
    • The trophies are named after four French tennis legends: René Lacoste, Jean Borotra, Henri Cochet and Jacques Brugnon for men, and Suzanne Lenglen for women.

What is Grand Slam?

• Grand Slam tournaments, also called majors, are the four most important annual tennis events.
• The Grand Slam itinerary consists of the Australian Open in mid-January, the French Open from around late May to early June, Wimbledon in June–July, and the US Open in August–September.
  • Each tournament is played over a two-week period.
• The Australian and United States tournaments are played on hard courts, the French on clay, and Wimbledon on grass.
  • Wimbledon is the oldest, founded in 1877, followed by the US in 1881, the French in 1891, and the Australian in 1905.
• Novak Djokovic equalised Rafael Nadal’s record of most grand slam titles by winning the 2023 Australian Open.

UPSC Civil Services Examination, Previous Year Question (PYQ)

Q. Consider the following statements in respect of the 44th Chess Olympiad, 2022: (2023)

1. It was the first time that Chess Olympiad was held in India.
2. The official mascot was named ‘Thambi’.
3. The trophy for the winning team in the open section is the Vera Menchik Cup.
4. The trophy for the winning team in the women's section is the Hamilton-Russell Cup.

How many of the statements given above are correct?

(a) Only one
(b) Only two
(c) Only three
(d) All four

Ans: (b)

Surce: TH