Modern era
Men's tournament
In 1990, Andrés Gómez became the first Ecuadorian to win the tournament, beating Andre Agassi, who again failed against his compatriot Jim Courier in 1991. Courier confirms its success in 1992 with a second triumph. Courier missed the third consecutive success in 1993 against Sergi Bruguera who achieved the double the following year. In 1995, Michael Chang reached the final on Parisian clay for the second time, after his victory in 1989. He fails in the final against the Austrian Thomas Muster. In 1996, Yevgueni Kafelnikov became the first Russian to win the Open at Roland Garros.
The 1997 edition is that of the revelation of the Brazilian Gustavo Kuerten in the eyes of the Parisian public. While it is not seeded and ranked 66th in the ATP, "Guga" beat the double winner Sergi Bruguera. In 1998, the final was played between two Spaniards: Carlos Moyà and Àlex Corretja, the first to win 6-3, 7-5, 6-3. In 1999, while his partner Steffi Grafwon the tournament the day before, Andre Agassi, yet led two sets to zero, succeeds where he failed in 1990 and 1991: he won the Grand Slam final on clay by turning a bad situation against the Ukrainian Andrei Medvedev and winning 1-6, 2-6, 6-4, 6-3, 6-4. In 2000 and 2001, Gustavo Kuerten won the tournament. The final of the 2002 edition is once again a final between two Spanish players: Albert Costa wins against Juan Carlos Ferrero. The latter did not fail against Martin Verkerk the following year. Ferrero wins against the powerful Dutch server. In2004, Argentinians Gastón Gaudio and Guillermo Coria compete hard, and Gaudio wins in five sets 0-6, 3-6, 6-4, 6-1, 8-6.
The Nadal era
In 2005 for his first participation at Roland Garros, the Spaniard Rafael Nadal won the title, beating the Argentinian Mariano Puerta in the final (6-7, 6-3, 6-1, 7-5). It is the beginning of the Nadal era. In 2006, 2007 and 2008, Nadal beats Switzerland's Roger Federer, then world number one in the final, even inflicting a severe 6-1, 6-3, 6-0 in 2008. In 2009, Federer however manages to win the only title of Grand Slam that lacked, by defeating the surprising Swede Robin Soderling, who defeated Nadal in the second round. In 2010, Nadal takes revenge on Robin Söderling in a three-set final. Moreover, as in 2008, he does not lose any set during the tournament. In 2011 for the fourth time, Nadal beats Federer in the final, this time in four sets (7-5, 7-6, 5-7, 6-1), and achieves the sextuplet, thus equaling the record of Björn Borg which dates thirty years old. In 2012, Nadal won the title for the seventh time, against Novak Djokovic in the final (6-4, 6-3, 2-6, 7-5): the match was interrupted twice by rain and took place on two days. Nadal thus becomes the most successful male player in the history of this tournament, in the Open era. In 2013, after beating world number one Djokovic in the semifinals, Nadal won Roland Garros for the eighth time, beating his compatriot David Ferrer in the final (6-3, 6-2, 6-3). He then becomes the first player in history to win the same Grand Slam tournament eight times, in the Open era. In 2014 for the second time, Rafael Nadal beats his rival Novak Djokovic in the final.
The years 2015 and 2016 see new trophy winners. In 2015, defender of the title Nadal lost in the quarter-finals against world number one Djokovic, who himself was beaten in the final by Stanislas Wawrinka. In 2016, Nadal forfeited the day before his third round match against Marcel Granollers. The Spaniard leaves the Paris tournament because of his left wrist, which is too painful to continue. Novak Djokovic took the opportunity, and won the tournament by beating the Scottish Andy Murray in the final. Djokovic, who won Wimbledon and the US Open in 2015 and the Australian Open in 2016, therefore achieved on this occasion a Grand Slam straddling two seasons.
In 2017, Nadal returned to Paris, and won the tournament again against Wawrinka in the final (6-2, 6-3, 6-1), thus winning his tenth title. On this occasion, the tournament reserves a special tribute ceremony for him and offers him a personalized copy of the cup. In 2018, he easily won the final against the Austrian Dominic Thiem, despite a problem with his left hand in the last set, in 6-4, 6-3, 6-2, and thus won the title for the eleventh time. At the same time, he beats the last record he lacked in the tournament: that of the number of victories won (86) ahead of Steffi Graf (84). The final of the 2019 editionsees Nadal dominate Thiem again (6-3, 5-7, 6-1, 6-1), having been the first tournament since the 2012 Australian Open to feature the world's top four players in the semi-finals.
As a result of the Covid-19 pandemic in Europe, many tournaments are canceled. The organizers decide to keep the tournament going by postponing it until September and excluding players who tested positive in the previous months, without a second test to confirm the first, which irritates some players. Fernando Verdasco was ousted following a positive test in August, despite having tested negative four times in September. Before the start of the tournament, Nadal talks about the worst edition he has ever seen.
Women's tournament
The May 23, 1988Germany's Steffi Graf entered the history of competition by winning the tournament for the second time in a row, inflicting a 6-0, 6-0 double bicycle wheel on Natasha Zvereva. The following year, Graf failed in the final against the Spaniard Arantxa Sánchez. In 1990, Graf, again in the final, faced the American Monica Seles, who won her first Grand Slam title there, before doing it again in 1991 and 1992, beating Sánchez and Graf respectively again. Graf defeated Mary Joe Fernández in the final in 1993 and won her third title. In 1994, Mary Piercebecomes the first Frenchwoman of the open era to reach the final, which she loses to Sánchez. Steffi Graf and Arantxa Sánchez found themselves the next two years in the final, Graf winning both matches in three sets. In 1997, the Croatian Iva Majoli beat the Swiss Martina Hingis, however favorite, in two sets 6-4, 6-2. In 1998, ten years after his first Porte d'Auteuil coronation, Arantxa Sánchez won the tournament for the third time, beating Seles, who made his return to the circuit. TheMay 24, 1999, Steffi Graf wins the last of her six triumphs at Roland Garros, twelve years after the first, against Martina Hingis who fails once again in the final as she dominates world tennis and won the other three Grand Slam tournaments. In 2000, Mary Pierce became the first Frenchwoman to win the Open Era women's singles tournament, beating Conchita Martinez in the final.
In 2001, American Jennifer Capriati defeated Belgian Kim Clijsters in the tightest final of the 2000s. Capriati wins 12-10 in the third set after losing the first 1-6. The 2002 final opposes two sisters for the first time. Serena Williams and Venus Williams meet and the former wins 7-5, 6-3. The 2003 final opposes two Belgians: Justine Henin and Kim Clijsters. Henin won the tournament for the first time. After an American final in 2002, Belgian in 2003, the 2004 final is Russian, Anastasia Myskina beats Elena Dementieva. In 2005, 2006 and 2007, Justine Henin won the tournament, respectively against Mary Pierce, who reached the final for a third and last time, Svetlana Kuznetsova then Ana Ivanović. Justine Henin is retiring before the 2008 French Open tennis tournament. Defeated the previous year, Serbian Ana Ivanović won the 2008 French Open after a final victory against Russian Dinara Safina in straight sets 6-4, 6-3. In 2009, Safina lost again in the final, this time against her compatriot Svetlana Kuznetsova, by the score of 6-4, 6-2.
In 2010, Francesca Schiavone became the first Italian to win the Paris tournament, winning in the final against Samantha Stosur (6-4, 7-6). In 2011 Li Na became the first Chinese to win the Roland-Garros tournament, winning against Francesca Schiavone (6-4, 7-6 [0]). In 2012, Sharapova won the French Open, the fourth Grand Slam of his career, and became the 6 th player in the Open Era to achieve the Grand Slam career, having defeated the final Sara Errani (6-3, 6 -2). In 2013 Serena Williamswins the tournament for the second time, 11 years after her first victory, in straight sets (6-4 6-4) against the Russian Maria Sharapova, who won the following year, for a second coronation, against Simona Halep, (6-4, 6 5 -7, 6-4), of which it was the first Grand Slam final. In 2017, Jeļena Ostapenko won her first Grand Slam tournament at just 20 years and 2 days old. In 2018, Simona Halep won the first Grand Slam tournament of her career after two unsuccessful finals in this one, beating in 3 sets (3-6, 6-4, 6-1) the American Sloane Stephens.
Also Read:
- French Open: Background, History of Roland Garros
- French Open History: From world war to the open Era
- French Open: The open era - Swedish supremacy, Domination of Chris Evert
- French Open: Modern Era, Nadal Era, Mens and Womens Tournament
- French Open: Prize money, points ATP and WTA, records - mens and womens
- French Open: Organization, Tickets, qualification, anti-doping and regulations
- French Open: Roland-Garros Stadium, Location and accessibility, Village, Museum
- French Open: Receipts and Expenses, media coverage, sponsors, brand and video games