Biggest French Open Winners: Women and Men

By Amelia Walker Senior Content Writer Updated: 08 July 2024

Amelia Walker Senior Content Writer

Amelia Walker is a Senior Content Writer at Betting.US. She has a law degree and deep knowledge of the gambling laws in the United States. Her mission is to keep players informed about responsible gambling, while her passion for sports helps her create useful guides. Amelia has over a decade of experience in betting, which has positioned her as a trusted voice among our readers.

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Biggest French Open Winners

• French Open Winners Men: An Intro
• French Open Past Winners: The Women
• Nadal: The Spanish King
• Max Decugis: 8-Time Winner
• Björn Borg: Dominating the 70s and 80s
• Chris Evert: Seven-Time Champion
• Suzanne Lenglen: Second All-Time Female
• Steffi Graf: Six Championship Wins

Welcome to today’s blog, where we dive deep into the rich history of the French Open, one of the most prestigious Grand Slam tournaments. Today, we’re going to explore the various French Open winners – women and men – and we’ll look at how these players have left their marks on the red clay of Roland Garros.

French Open Winners Men: An Intro

There have been many French Open winners men’s champions who showcase the absolute best that the sport has to offer. Over the years, this Grand Slam has been a battleground for the world’s best tennis players, and the Roland Garros winners list includes some of the best-known and iconic male athletes in history!

From the early days with Max Decugis, who dominated the pre-Open era, to the modern clay court king, Rafael Nadal, each champion has contributed to the tournament’s history in their own way. In today’s blog, we’ll be examining three French Open winners men and three French Open past winners from the women’s tournament.

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French Open Past Winners: The Women

The French Open has long served as a key stage for women in tennis, showcasing their evolving role and growing popularity in the sport. Since its creation as the French Championships in 1897, and later opening to international competitors in 1925, this tournament has played a significant role in the development of women’s tennis, not just in France, but around the world too.

Originally held at the Stade Français club in Paris before moving to Roland Garros in 1928, the event has seen historic changes, from the amateur era to the Open Era, reflecting key shifts in the sport itself.

In today’s blog, as mentioned, we’ll be looking at French Open past winners showing you the three most successful French Open winners women players in the tournament’s history.

Nadal: The Spanish King

Rafael Nadal, often called the “King of Clay,” has dominated the French Open like no other. With a whopping 14 titles at Roland Garros, his aggressive play and unmatched stamina on clay courts have made him, by far, the most successful player in the tournament’s history.

Nadal’s ability to play his best tennis in the toughest moments has won him millions of fans around the world – and he’s secured his place as one of the greatest clay-court players in the history of tennis.

Alongside his record 14 French Open titles, Nadal also holds the record for the most consecutive wins on a single surface in the Open Era. How many? Nadal managed to rack up a staggering 81 wins on clay – and for the best part of 20 years, Nadal has almost single-handedly enjoyed the Musketeers Trophy. He’s also had huge success at other Grand Slam events.

Of course, Nadal’s dominance on the clay of Roland Garros is marked not just by his wins, but also in the way he actually wins them! His fierce competitiveness and world-class abilities often prove to be simply too much for his opponents – and Nadal has managed to form a strong bond with the French Open crowd, with them backing him most of the time!

Max Decugis: 8-Time Winner

Max Decugis was a dominant force in early French tennis, especially before the Open Era. He won the French Championships eight times between 1903 and 1914, setting records that stood for decades. Max’s playing style was characterized by precision and agility, making him a tough opponent on the clay courts. His achievements laid the foundation for what would become the French Open, so it’s no surprise that many tennis experts today cite him as one of the sport’s early pioneers.

During Decugis’ impressive French Open wins, he clocked up back-to-back championships, alongside two separate runs of three-in-a-row victories!

On top of his impressive performances in France, Decugis managed to win another of the sport’s most prestigious titles – the men’s singles event at Wimbledon in 1911. He also won his country – France – a gold medal at the Olympics in 1920, at the games held in Antwerp, although this was in the mixed doubles as opposed to the singles he’d become so used to dominating.

Björn Borg: Dominating the 70s and 80s

Björn Borg, a Swedish tennis legend, is another male player who left an undeniable mark on the French Open during the 1970s and 1980s. With an impressive six titles at Roland Garros, Borg showcased his exceptional skills on the red clay, cementing his place among the greatest players of the Open Era.

Borg’s abilities extended beyond the French Open, as he also achieved remarkable success at Wimbledon, winning the prestigious grass-court tournament a staggering five times consecutively from 1976 to 1980. His ability to excel on both clay and grass surfaces made him one of the top-performing players at the time – and he’s gone on to become a tennis legend. Ranking third on the French Open winners list would have been enough anyway to secure his legacy!

However, despite his incredible achievements at the French Open and Wimbledon, Borg’s success at the other two Grand Slams was surprisingly underwhelming. He reached the finals of the US Open on four occasions but was unable to secure a win. His best result at the Australian Open was a third-round appearance, highlighting the challenges he faced on hard courts.

While Borg’s career was relatively short compared to some of the other great names of his era, his impact on the sport of tennis cannot be understated. He was known as a highly entertaining player to watch – not just because of his world-class tennis, but also thanks to his rivalries with players like John McEnroe and Jimmy Connors.

Chris Evert: Seven-Time Champion

Chris Evert, an American tennis icon, is another player who left an undeniable mark on the French Open, winning an impressive seven titles throughout her career. Her first victory came in 1974, and she went on to dominate the tournament in the years that followed, securing additional titles in 1975, 1979, 1980, 1983, 1985, and 1986.

Evert’s success at the French Open can be attributed to several factors – although most the important was her ability to maintain incredible consistency. Her ability to outlast opponents in long rallies on the clay made her a feared opponent at Roland Garros – and her two-handed backhand became almost as iconic as her appearance!

Beyond her French Open wins, Evert’s career was incredibly impressive, too. She won a total of 18 Grand Slam singles titles, including three at Wimbledon, six at the US Open, and two at the Australian Open. Her long-standing rivalry with Martina Navratilova became one of the most well known in the sport – and the two faced off in a record 80 matches, 60 of which were finals!

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Suzanne Lenglen: Second All-Time Female

Suzanne Lenglen, a French tennis player who dominated the sport in the early 20th century, is, today, seen as a true pioneer of women’s tennis. Her six French Open titles, won between 1920 and 1926, place her second on the women’s French Open winners list!

Lenglen’s impact on the sport extended far beyond her on-court achievements, too. She was the first female tennis player to become a global celebrity, and her influence on the game’s popularity inspired millions of young girls to take up the sport and try it out for themselves.

Lenglen’s fashion choices, which included shorter skirts and sleeveless tops, were seen as iconic – and she’s credited with helping to do away with old, dated fashion rules – an early feminist, if you like.

On the court, Lenglen was an opponent that most would prefer to avoid! Her aggressive, attacking style of play was a major change from the more conservative approach favored by many of her competitors. She possessed a powerful forehand, a well-disguised backhand, and a devastating overhead smash, all of which allowed her to dominate in the French Open – and pretty much every other major tournament she played, too.

In addition to her French Open successes, Lenglen won Wimbledon six times and secured two gold medals at the 1920 Antwerp Olympics. Her career, though relatively short, left an incredible mark on women’s tennis – something that’s talked about to this day!

Here are some interesting facts about Lenglet, if you’re interested:

Steffi Graf: Six Championship Wins

The final entry in today’s blog is Steffi Graf, a German tennis legend, who left a huge mark on the French Open, winning six titles at Roland Garros throughout her career. Graf’s first French Open victory came in 1987, and she went on to secure additional titles in 1988, 1993, 1995, 1996, and 1999.

Graf’s success at the French Open perfectly showcased her exceptional all-around game and her ability to adapt to the challenging conditions of the red clay. Her powerful forehand, combined with her outstanding footwork, made her a tough opponent on any surface, but she seemed to excel at Roland Garros.

One of Graf’s most remarkable achievements came in 1988 when she won the Golden Slam, winning all four Grand Slam titles and the Olympic gold medal in the same calendar year. This feat has never been repeated by any other player, male or female, and is one of the factors that allowed her to become not just one of the best – but also one of the best-known tennis players in history.

Throughout her career, Graf won a total of 22 Grand Slam singles titles, placing her second on the all-time list behind only Margaret Court. In addition to her six French Open titles, she won seven Wimbledon championships, six US Open titles, and four Australian Open crowns.