Since 1927, the Roland-Garros stadium has been the temple of world clay tennis.
Located on the edge of the Bois de Boulogne and a stone’s throw from the Parc des Princes Stadium, the stadium hosts the third Grand Slam tennis tournament each year: the Roland-Garros International Tennis Tournament . Between May and June, it opens its doors to the French Open, the most important tennis tournament on clay and one of the four Grand Slam tournaments, along with Wimbledon, the Australian Open and the US Open.
For a fortnight, the world’s stars of the yellow ball tread the famous ochre ground on one of its 24 courts, including the Philippe-Chatrier centre court and the Suzanne Lenglen court.
In May and June, the stadium becomes the mecca of international tennis: the world’s greatest racquet champions gather from all over the world to do battle in the famous French Open, better known as the Roland-Garros Tournament.
Broadcast across the planet, this major world sports event is organised by the French Tennis Federation. It is also the only Grand Slam tournament to be played on clay, one of the oldest and noblest surfaces in the history of tennis.
If you wish to attend one of the matches of the tournament, we advise you to book your tickets well in advance, as they sell out quickly.
Buy tickets for Roland GarrosNamed after theFrench aviator Roland Garros, the stadium was built in 1928 to host the exploits of French players during the Davis Cup.
Henri Cochet, René Lacoste, Jean Borotra and Jacques Brugnon, the famous Musketeers, but also multiple champion Suzanne Lenglen, who gave her name to one of the courts, became the tennis legends of Roland Garros.
Expanded and modernised several times, the stadium covers 12 hectares and has 18 clay courts. This gigantic facility is designed to engage tourists and fans all year round, being equipped with various attractions: not only courts, but also shops, squares, gardens and restaurants surrounded by greenery.
The Philippe-Chatrier court, the centrepiece of Roland-Garros, is equipped with a retractable roof and night lighting. Dedicated to one of the main architects of the reintroduction of tennis into the Olympic Games programme, which took place in Seoul in 1988, the facility boasts a capacity of around 15,000: each grandstand is dedicated to a French tennis legend.
Inaugurated in 2019 in the heart of the Serres d’Auteuil garden, in a lovely verdant setting, the 5,000-seat Simonne-Mathieu court is a semi-covered glass structure set between four greenhouses housing incredible botanical collections. It offers real proximity to the players, dining and relaxation areas, giant screens to follow the matches, shops and many activities offered during the two weeks of the tournament.
The Suzanne Lenglen court, built in 1994, is dedicated to the legendary French champion. During the Qualifiers, there is free access to the players’ training sessions.
The Roland-Garros Museum has always had a dual purpose: to preserve the heritage of tennis and to promote it to a wide public.
Through painting, posters, fashion, photography and even sculpture, the Museum tells the story of tennis and the mythical tournament. The tour routes trace the evolution of the stadium, its champions and the tournament with an immersive visit into the heart of the game and the world’s best clay court tournament.
Among the most beautiful items in the collections, visitors can admire the tournament cups, players’ uniforms, rackets and various iconic objects such as the Musketeers’ Cup, awarded to the men’s singles winner since 1981, which pays tribute to the four musketeers of French tennis, Jean Borotra, Jacques Brugnon, Henri Cochet and René Lacoste.
Or the Suzanne Lenglen Cup, awarded to the women’s singles winner since 1979, named after an emblematic French champion who won the French Open six times.
Also unmissable is René Lacoste’s ball machine, Françoise Dürr’s dress, dressed by British designer and former player Ted Tinling in the late 1960s, causing a sensation with her short, sensual outfits, stanislas Wawrinka’s chequered shorts and matching polo shirt, the evolution of rackets in the history of tennis, and the rise into myth of the famous Stan Smith Adidas shoes, practical and reputedly indestructible, which have become a true icon of the sport.
Finally, you can admire the famous Roland-Garros propeller, who was not a tennis champion but an aviation pioneer, a hero of the First World War and a member of the Stade Français, who in 1913 made the first crossing of the Mediterranean by plane, shattered many altitude records and crashed not far from Vouziers, in the Ardennes. Victory belongs to the most obstinate, warns the motto written on the broken propeller, a maxim that also applies very well to the French Open, where technique and power are nothing without willpower.
Tennis fans can book tickets for a guided tour behind the scenes of the Roland-Garros stadium: a journey of discovery of this legendary temple of tennis in Paris.
During this unusual 1½-hour guided tour, you will have access to the press rooms, the dressing rooms, the presidential grandstand and the corridor that leads the players to the clay court: a journey in the footsteps of Roland-Garros tournament winners such as Björn Borg, Chris Evert, Steffi Graff and, of course, Rafael Nadal.
The guide will tell you a thousand anecdotes, from the historic Four Musketeers to contemporary winners, and reveal the secrets of the majestic new Philippe-Chatrier court, a technological and architectural feat, named after the illustrious president of the FFT (French Tennis Federation). A jewel of technological design, every detail of the Philippe-Chatrier court has been conceived to allow players to express their best tennis, in all conditions.
From the stands, which you will access via the panoramic walkways, you will be able to admire a magnificent view of the incomparable clay court, but also of the Suzanne-Lenglen court and the magnificent surroundings of the capital: you will also see the roof made up of retractable wings, a tribute to the national hero who gave the stadium its name. The guided tour will also be an opportunity to learn more about the history of the winners of the Roland-Garros tournament, from the four musketeers to today’s champions. Like true VIPs, you will have access to the presidential grandstand and admire the legendary Roland-Garros cups.
The Roland Garros Stadium is located near the Bois du Boulogne and is easily reached using public transport in Paris.
You can use the metro: line 9, stop Michel-Ange Auteuil or line 10, stop – Porte d’Auteuil Boulogne – Jean-Jaurès.
Alternatively, there are numerous buses that stop in the area:
City Card allow you to save on public transport and / or on the entrances to the main tourist attractions.