Tennis-The French Open

Recent history of the French Open

The French Open has been a part of the tennis world for more than 125 years. In 1891, just three years after the start of Wimbledon, the French Tennis Club de Paris held its first tournament at a local exhibition ground on Avenue de la Porte d'Auteuil. The event was originally known as the World Grass Championships or International Lawn Tennis Championships before being renamed in 1975 and becoming the only Grand Slam event named after its site.

In recent decades, this event has become increasingly more important to fans from all over the world because of a certain player from France. His name is Rafael Nadal and he's only 27 years old! In 2016, he won his first French Open title against his longtime rival and friend Novak Djokovic, who had beaten him in four out of their last five meetings at Roland Garros. He also won three straight titles between 2005-07 with an unbeaten streak that totaled 79 matches. He then went on to win another 10 titles, including his 2008 victory over Roger Federer. This year's tournament will be his 12th title overall, but it won't be easy as he'll have to compete against archrival Djokovic once again.

Rafael Nadal : The King of French Open

Rafael Nadal, a top-ranked Spanish professional tennis player who is the current world No. 1 in men's singles, has won the most French Open titles in history. Nadal first competed at Roland Garros in 2005 and he has made the final on nine occasions, winning five times. This year will be his 10th appearance at the event and he is currently on a 24-match winning streak. Starting from 2005 to 2016, Nadal has been ranked among the top two players in the world for ten consecutive years. Consequently, Nadal is also known as "The King of Clay" or "The King of Paris".

In 2006, Rafael Nadal was only 20 years old when he lost in three sets to Roger Federer at Roland Garros. Twelve months later, he would come back and win his first French Open title against Federer - something that proved significant for him because it was his first Grand Slam victory ever. Just thirteen days after winning his maiden Grand Slam trophy, he would break into the ATP's top ten rankings for the first time in his career; it marked the start of an amazing decade for one of tennis' best players ever.

Novak Djokovic

Novak Djokovic is the Serbian tennis player. Aside from being one of the best athletes alive today, Novak Djokovic is also known for being a really nice guy. The tennis superstar has twice been named Sports Illustrated’s "Sportsman of the Year," and has always shown great appreciation for his fans by making himself available for selfies and autographs. Djokovic is also one of the most charitable celebrities around with a long list of philanthropic endeavors

The three finalists in the French Open always receive a large trophy but the one who wins is especially honored with the coveted Coupe des Mousquetaires, also known as the "mousquetaire" or Musketeer Cup. It was first given to the player of France's tennis team at an international match in 1910 and has since been awarded to players every year following their victory at Roland Garros. The cup symbolizes a knight's sword and has been crafted by silversmiths from Parisian company Thiebaut Frères since 1920.

The competition itself is laid out in eight new and well-lit courts; four of which are clay, two are red clay, and two are hard courts. There are also three show courts with retractable roofs that can accommodate up to 7,500 people for a single session. Some of these show courts include Court Philippe Chatrier (clay), Court Suzanne Lenglen (clay), and Court 1 (hard).

Women's tennis players

Female players have long been a prominent part of the French Open, but it wasn’t until 2001 that they were able to compete in all five rounds. This year, men and women will have equal prize money at this event as well.

The French Open was originally known as the World Grass Championships or International Lawn Tennis Championships before being renamed in 1975.