Rolland Garros gears up for French Open Tennis

The French Open returns on May 19 for a three-week run lasting until June 8, 2025- a not-to-be-missed event for tennis fans! This is a chance to see the world's best athletes on your screens in Paris, at the Porte d'Auteuil, on the most famous clay court in the capital's 16th arrondissement.

Organised by the French Tennis Federation, Roland-Garros is one of the four Grand Slam tournaments, and the second of the year after the Australian Open.

The 2025 edition of the world's most famous clay-court tournament promises to be as exceptional as ever! Once again this year, Roland-Garros is offering night sessions, every evening at 9pm, to give spectators an even more immersive experience.

Every summer for almost a century, Paris has become the tennis capital of the world, with the Roland-Garros tournament. You may be a keen follower of the tournament, but how much do you really know about it? Here are a few facts and anecdotes to help you shine in the evening.

The legendary tennis tournament, scheduled to run from May 25 to June 8, 2025 at Porte d'Auteuil, has opened its ticketing to the general public, but with a new system this year.

Every year, the Roland-Garros stadium plays host to the famous clay-court tournament, as well as many other sporting and cultural events. Located in the 16th arrondissement of Paris, it's easily accessible by any means of transport.

Originally made entirely of wood, it was designed to host the Davis Cup final in 1928, and featured just 5 courts. The stadium's name was chosen as a tribute to aviation pioneer and sportsman Roland Garros, who died in aerial combat during the First World War in 1918. During the Second World War, the stadium was requisitioned and became a transit camp for foreigners .

In the 1980s, the Roland-Garros stadium was expanded, with numerous courts added and several modernized over the years, as well as the creation of a National Training Center. The Place des Mousquetaires was landscaped in1989, with the installation of bronze statues of René Lacoste, Jean Borotra, Henri Cochet and Jacques Brugnon, the Four Musketeers of French tennis . In 1994, a new 10,000-seat centre court was built, named after Suzanne Lenglen, former French tennis player and the first international star of women's tennis.

In the early 2010s, controversy arose after the FFT proposed a project to extend the stadium, with the construction of an adjoining court in the Jardin des Serres d'Auteuil. Work went ahead anyway, and the Philippe-Chatrier court was rebuilt and can now be covered, while the Simonne-Mathieu court was built, bringing the total number of orange courts to 18.

Since the 1930s, other sports have regularly taken over the stadium, including padel, beach volleyball, basketball (including Quai 54), boxing, breaking and, most recently, comedian Fary' s latest show! The stadium will host tennis and boxing events during the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.

Ahead of French Open Tennis, Texapoker once again went on to stage a fine festival at Club Circus Paris in late March this year.

The programme included an APO 500 accompanied by an APO 1000 and a Freezeout 350 to round things off in style. –Agencies

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