2015 French Open Ready to Kick Off

May 19th, 2015 by Do It Tennis

French Open Roland Garros Logo

Photo: www.rolandgarros.com Every year when we think of summer here at Do It Tennis, we think of all of the amazing tennis tournaments that take place. With summer knocking at the door, a regular favorite — the French Open — qualifying rounds are starting today! The start of the French Open marks the start of the battle to be crowned King of Clay. In honor of the beginning of the French open, here are some facts about the beloved tournament.

Though the French Open was played for many years before, it wasn’t until 1925 when it was opened up to all players, and recognized as a major championship. It later became an “Open” in 1968.

The tournament is commonly known as Roland Garros, and in French is, Les Internationaux de France de Roland-Garros.

Roland Garros was a French aviator who flew over the Mediterranean.

The French Open was cancelled for five years from 1940- 1945 due to World War II.

The winner of the French Open will win the La Coupe des Mousquetaires, translated to The Muskateers Trophy, and over 2 million dollars.

The King of Clay – Rafael Nadal – is out to win his 10th French Open title.

This year will be an extraordinary year. With Nadal’s sub-par streak in tournaments this year, there are already new favorites for the title. Many have predicted Djokovic to take the trophy this year based on his performance at the Rome Masters. If Djokovic wins the title at Roland Garros, he will finally complete his career “slam”. With that being said, Andy Murray should not be overlooked; he is a front-runner for the title because of his performances thus far, as well. On the women’s side, Maria Sharapova is the main contender this year, and is hungry for another good win. The French Open will be a fight all the way to the finish, and may turn out to be one to remember. We hope these French Open facts helped curb your clay cravings til the tournament begins. Let us know on social media or here in the comments which matchups you are excited to watch or who you expect to see hoist the trophy!