French Open 2017: When is the tournament and why is it called the Roland Garros?
TENNIS players from around the world are gearing up for the prestigious French Open at Roland Garros. But when is the French Open this year and why is the venue called the Roland Garros?
Tennis match interrupted by SEX noises
When is the French Open?
The French Open will kick off on Sunday May 28 for a gruelling two-week tennis tournament and end on Sunday June 11.
A total of 15 matches will be played out on the clay court of the Stade Roland Garros in Paris, France.
The qualifying draw for the matches will take place this Sunday, May 21 with the main draw on the following Friday, May 26.
What is the French Open schedule?
These are the provisional dates ahead of the May 21 qualifying draw:
May 22 to May 26 – Qualifiers
May 27 – Roland Garros kid’s day
May 28 – 1st round
May 29 – 1st round
May 30 – 1st round
May 31 – 2nd round
June 1 – 2nd round
June 2 – 3rd round
June 3 – 3rd round
June 4 – 4th round
June 5 – 4th round
June 6 – 1/4 finals
June 7 – 1/4 finals
June 8 – 1/2 finals
June 9 – 1/2 finals
June 10 – Ladies’ final
June 11 – Gentlemen’s finals
The French Open Roland Garros tennis tournament will begin this month in Paris
Why is it called the Roland Garros?
The French Open takes its namesake from the Stade Roland Garros in Paris, where it has been hosted since 1928.
Many consider the slow-playing surface of the open air clay court to be one of the hardest and physically demanding tennis tournaments in the world.
Clay courts are notoriously known for slowing down the ball and producing a high bounce that force players to adapt their style.
The Roland Garros is also known for being the only open-aired stadium, out of the four that make the grand slam.
It is also half the size of the other stadiums and its lack of roofing can lead to problems on days when the weather is unfortunate.
In 2016, Polish tennis player Agnieszka Radwanska complained about the court conditions after rain fell on Paris.
It’s not a $10,000 tournament. It’s a grand slam
"It’s not a $10,000 tournament. It’s a grand slam," the Pole said after losing to Tsvetana Pironkova.
"How can you allow us to play in the rain? I just cannot play in those conditions.
“I’m not healthy enough. I had hand surgery a few years ago, and for me, playing with those balls [which get heavier with the water and the sticky clay] in that kind of court is pretty much impossible."
Novak Djokovic won the French Open last year
The Roland Garros is one of the four grand slams
How to watch the French Open
ITV and ITV2 will have the broadcasting rights to the second grand slam tournament of the year.
The broadcaster will air over 140 hours of tennis action and live commentary from John Inverdale, Nick Mullins and Celina Hinchcliffe.
Former tennis stars Jim Courier, Mark Petchey, Fabrice Santoro, Marion Bartoli, Sam Smith and Martina Navratilova will join the broadcasts for added expertise.
A certain selection of the matches will also be broadcast on Eurosport.