Roland Garros, a red-clay paradise

Named after a leading pre-war French aviator who gained renewed fame during the First World War, Roland Garros, also known as the French Open, is the second of the four Grand Slam tournaments on the annual tennis calendar and is the premier clay court tennis tournament in the world. It is held every year over two weeks between mid-May and early June in Paris.

Because of its slow surface and the five sets matches without tie-break in the last set, Roland Garros is widely seen as the physically hardest tournament in the world. It tends to favor baseline players, especially those who use heavy topspin, and to showcase some of the most spectacular defensive play of the tennis year. If some serve-and-volley players, like Martina Navratilova, or more recently Roger Federer, have managed to win the tournament, most great players like John McEnroe or Pete Sampras, who won each of the other Grand Slams more than once, failed to lift the trophy. The stadium is located within Paris boundaries, just by the Bois de Boulogne and the Auteuil gardens. If you’re a tennis amateur but couldn’t get any tickets, the place can be visited all year long. A guide will show you the main places frequented by players during the tournament. And if you’re not interested in tennis, you can even attend jazz concerts between February and May!