The French Open, also known as Roland Garros, is one of the most prestigious tennis tournaments in the world, and every year, the best tennis players from around the globe gather in Paris to compete for the coveted title. While many players have made their mark on the tournament over the years, there are a select few who have achieved greatness by winning multiple French Open singles titles. The French Open 2023 will start from May 22. So, in this article, we will take a closer look at the women who have won the most French Open singles titles in history.

Also Read: Most French Open titles (Men)

1. Chris Evert | 7 titles

Chris Evert, known as the "Ice Maiden", is widely considered one of the greatest tennis players of all time. Evert won her first French Open title in 1974 and went on to win six more titles over the next 12 years. Her seven titles at Roland Garros is still the all-time record for most French Open singles titles won by a woman. Evert was known for her incredible consistency on clay courts. Her mental toughness made her a force to be reckoned with on any surface. Her ability to read her opponent's game and adjust her strategy accordingly was second to none.

2. Steffi Graf | 6 titles

Steffi Graf is another legendary tennis player who dominated the sport in the late 1980s and early 1990s. She won six French Open singles titles between 1987 and 1999. Graf was known for her powerful forehand and her excellent footwork on clay courts, which made her a tough opponent to beat. Her six titles at Roland Garros is the second most in history for a woman. Her ability to move around the court with ease and hit winners from seemingly impossible angles made her one of the most exciting players to watch.

3. Suzanne Lenglen | 6 Titles

Suzanne Lenglen is the second player ever to win the French Open on six occasions. All six of her triumphs came during the Amateur Era. The Fench tennis player won the tournament in 1920, 1921, 1922, 1923, 1925, and 1926. Suzanne had a ballet background which also showed in her graceful performances on the tennis court. She was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 1978. Unfortunately, Lenglen died at the age of 39. 

4. Margaret Court | 5 titles

Margaret Court is an Australian tennis player who won five French Open singles titles between 1962 and 1973. Court was known for her powerful serve and her aggressive playing style, which made her a formidable opponent on any surface. In addition to her five French Open titles, Court also won 24 Grand Slam singles titles throughout her career, which is a record that still stands today. Her success on the court cemented her place as one of the greatest players of all time and her legacy continues to inspire tennis players around the world.

Also Read: Most aces in French Open History (Top 10)

5. Adine Masson | 5 titles

Adine Masson also has five French Open titles under her belt. In fact, all five of her wins came inside a period of seven years. She won the competition in 1897, 1898, 1899, 1902 and 1903. She won the first three French championships when it was also only limited to French players. The French tennis athlete also won the first-ever doubles championship in 1907. Moreover, she partnered up with Yvonne de Pfeffel to lift the title. Masson reached the final of the Women's Singles category in 1904 as well but Kate Gillou was too good for her. 

In a thrilling final at the 2024 French Open, El Salvador's Marcelo Arevalo and Croatian Mate Pavic clinch victory in the men's doubles, capturing their first grand slam as a pair at Roland Garros. They faced a formidable duo, Italian pair Simone Bolelli and  Andrea Vavassori in a match that tested their resilience and teamwork across three compelling sets. Arevalo and Pavic defeated Bolelli and Vavassori by 7-5, 6-3 to win their first major.

Read Also: Iga Siwatek wins her fourth Roland Garros title; her third in a row

Set-by-Set Analysis 

First Set: 7-5

Marcelo Arévalo and Mate Pavić’ came out with a strong start, putting their superior coordination and aggressive playing through the nets in the demonstration. They gained a crucial lead, breaking their opponents' serve early. Bolelli and Vavassori struggled to find their rhythm, particularly when they served, allowing Arévalo and Pavić to control the set. The Salvadoran-Croatian pair took advantage of their opportunities and maintained their serves with absolute consistency, closing the set 7-5.

Second Set: 6-3

In the second set, Marcelo Arévalo and Mate Pavić’ again started strong and executed their precise game plan. They broke Simone Bolelli and Andrea Vavassori's serve early, similar to the first set, which proved decisive. Their experience and effective communication were on full display, allowing them to dominate the net and handle the baseline exchanges with poise. The second set saw fewer errors from Arévalo and Pavić, their relentless pressure led to a 6-3 victory, securing the championship.

Read More: French Open Winners: Last 10 years (Men) 

Tactical Highlights

• Net Play: Arévalo and Pavić were exceptional at the net, often cutting off angles and forcing their opponents into difficult passing shots. Their volleys were crisp and accurate, a crucial factor in their win.
• Serving: Both pairs served well throughout, but the champions' ability to maintain a high first-serve percentage in critical moments was a key element in their success.
• Break Points: Arévalo and Pavić were particularly effective at converting break points, a critical difference-maker in both sets they won. Their ability to break Bolelli and Andrea Vavassori's serve early in sets gave them the upper hand.

Stats Table

Marcelo Arévalo and Mate Pavić’s triumph at the 2024 French Open is the most compelling evidence of their excellence, tactical wit, and strong partnership. Not only is it their first Grand Slam win in this championship, but it might also be the beginning of their reign in men’s doubles, and they have shown at Roland Garros that such dominance is a real possibility. Their demonstration of strong strategic thinking and unbeatable mental strength is what could be expected in their upcoming games in the ATP.

World No. 1 Iga Siwatek defeated Jasmine Paolini by 6-2, 6-1 in the Roland Garros final to win her fourth French Open and fifth Grand Slams title. The Polish tennis star took just 68 minutes to win the final and keep her 100% record intact in the Grand Slam finals.

Read Also: 20 Highest-paid female athletes in the world: PV Sindhu only Indian on the list

With this win, Iga Swiatek became the third Women's tennis player in the open era to win the Roland Garros in three consecutive years. Before her only Monica Seles in 1990-92 and Justine Henin in 2005-07 were able to accomplish the ‘three-peat' in Roland-Garros. 

Read Also: Youngest Grand Slam Champion (Men) | Top 10 List

Iga now extended her Roland-Garros win streak to 21 matches. It was in 2021 when she lost a match at Roland Garros in the quarter-finals against Maria Sakkari.

Read Also: Most matches in Tennis history (male & female): Tennis Records

The No. 1 WTA tennis player took just 34 minutes to win the first set and another 34 minutes to win the second. Although in the first three games of the first set, Jasmine Paolini tried her best to make a match in the final, Iga powered through five games in a row to claim the first set. 

The Italian was not able to put up any resistance against Iga as the Polish star won the second set very easily. 

World number one player Iga Swiatek will face Italy's Jasmine Paolini in the women's singles final of the French Open 2024 at Roland Garros, Paris on Saturday.

Jasmine Paolini had not been able to go beyond the fourth round in any Grand Slam before. Indian tennis fans are eager to watch the women's final of the French Open 2024. In such a situation, know here where and how you can watch this final match.

Also Read: Oldest Grand Slam Champion | Top 10 List

How to watch French Open 2024 women's singles final in India?

According to Indian time, this great tennis match will start on Saturday (June 08) at 6:30 pm. You can watch the live telecast of this tournament on Sony Sports Network. Apart from this, you can also watch its live streaming on Sony Liv and JioTV in India. 

Swiatek and Paolini's route to French Open 2024 final

Current champion Iga Swiatek has taken a big step towards her third consecutive French Open title by defeating America's Coco Gauff 6-2, 6-4 in the semi-finals. She won her 11th win out of her 12 matches against Coco Gauff.

In the second semifinal, Italy's Jasmine Paolini defeated Russian young player Mirra Andreeva 6-3, 6-1 to reach the final and continued Italy's success in this tournament.

23-year-old Switek will try to win her fourth and third consecutive French Open title. On the other hand, 28-year-old Paolini has reached the final of the French Open for the first time. But the 12th seed has played some inspired tennis this season. She won the Dubai Masters in February, the biggest title of her career.

Also Read: Youngest Grand Slam Champion (Men) | Top 10 List

Head-to-head record

When it comes to head-to-head record, Swiatek leads Paolini 2-0. They first faced each other in an ITF event in Prague six years ago, which remains their only meeting on clay. The next time they played against each other was during the first round of a title-winning run for Swiatek at the 2022 US Open.

Many tennis players have proven themselves to be the best of all not only in the initial years of their career but also continued their legacy in the very end. They have achieved the most success in their career and yet thrived to be the best even during the end years of their career. In this article, we will present you a list of the top 10 Oldest World No.1 tennis players in history (men and women). 

Also Read: India's Rohan Bopanna becomes the oldest player to win a Masters title with the Miami Open triumph

Top 10 Oldest World No.1 tennis players (men and women)

10. Martina Navratilova | 30 Years

At the age of 30, Martina Navratilova became one of the oldest World No.1 tennis players in history. She reached the top of the rankings on November 25, 1985, and stayed till August 16, 1987. She remained at the top for 332 weeks in women’s singles. Apart from that Navratilova was also World No.1 for 237 weeks in doubles. With 18 Grand Slam singles victories, Martina is unquestionably one of the top female tennis players in history. She also achieved an incredible 31 Grand Slam titles in women’s doubles and 10 in mixed doubles.

9. Andy Murray | 30 Years 95 Days

Andy Murray reached the top of the table on 7 November 2016 and stayed for 41 consecutive weeks at the top of the ATP Rankings till 20 August 2017. Murray enjoyed one of the best-ever seasons in tennis in 2016 as he won Wimbledon, the ATP Finals, gold at the Rio Games, three ATP Masters 1000 titles and three ATP 500 events. He also finished runner-up at the Australian Open and Roland Garros.

Also Read: The Era of the Big Four: Tracing the Dominance and Twilight of Tennis Titans

8. Ivan Lendl | 30 Years

Ivan Lendl stayed at the No. 1 rank for 270 weeks. During a career from 1978 to 1994, he stayed at the top of the table the last time was on 12 August 1990. He spent a total of 270 weeks at No. 1, which was a record until Sampras overtook him in 1999. The former Czech-American player is the winner of 8 Grand Slam titles. Also, he's the first male tennis player who appeared in 19th Grand Slam finals.

7. Chris Evert | 30 Years

Only three players have touched the WTA No. 1 ranking in their 30s and Chris Evert was one of them. On October 25 1985, Evert was crowned one of the oldest World No.1 tennis players at the age of 30. Her legacy continued till November 24 1985. Evert also was ranked world No. 1 for 260 weeks and was the year-end world No. 1 singles player seven times (1974–78, 1980, 1981). She won 18 major singles titles, including a record seven French Open titles and a joint-record six US Open titles (tied with Serena Williams).

6. Jimmy Connors | 30 Years

The eight-time Grand Slam winner’s first stint at No. 1 in the rankings kicked off July 29, 1974, and Jimmy Connors remained top for 160 consecutive weeks, a then record. He had another eight stints for a total of 268 weeks with his final day at No 1 coming on July 3, 1983. American Connors still holds the record for most singles trophies won during a career as he has 109 titles to his name.

5. John Newcombe | 30 Years

John Newcombe climbed to the top of the Open Era on June 3, 1974, and continued the streak till 28 July of the same year. He spent 8 weeks at the No. 1 and the last time he was at the top on 30 years and 66 days. The Australian player won seven majors and he competed in both the amateur and Open Eras with two of his Grand Slams coming before the sport turned professional in 1968.

4. Rafael Nadal | 33 Years

On 18 August 2008, Rafael Nadal was first crowned the No. 1 on the ATP Rankings at the age of 22 years and 76 days. The 37-year-old finished as the year-end No. 1 five times and the last time he was at the No. 1 position was on 2 February 2020. In total, he has spent 209 weeks at the top of the rankings and was the fourth oldest World No.1 tennis player behind Andre Agassi. Nadal has also won 22 Grand Slam men's singles titles, including a record 14 French Open titles.

Also Read: Rafael Nadal pulls out from Monte Carlo Masters, may return in French Open

3. Andre Agassi | 33 Years

Andre Agassi started playing professional tennis in 1986 and continued till 2006. During these 20 years, he became the first man to win all four Grand Slam singles tournaments on three different surfaces. Before Novak, he was the first man to win four Australian Open singles titles. He reached the world No. 1 ranking for the first time in 1995 and again returned to No. 1 in 1996. Also, he stayed at the top of the rankings for 101 weeks. On April 28, 2003, at the age of 33 years and 13 days, he recaptured the No. 1 ranking. During that time, he was the oldest top-ranked male player, which was later surpassed by Federer in 2018. The last time he was at the No. 1 was September 7, 2003.

2. Serena Williams | 35 Years

Serena Williams is the Oldest World No.1 tennis player (female) in the WTA ranking list. She first went to the top of the rankings on 8 July 2002. At the age of 35 years, on 14 May 2017, she became the oldest female world No. 1. She was 35 years 124 days old when she won her 23rd Grand Slam singles title, at the Australian Open. In doing so, Serena became the oldest female Grand Slam singles winner. She was also ranked world No.1 in singles for 319 weeks, including a joint-record 186 consecutive weeks, and finished as the year-end No.1 five times. In addition, Serena won 23 Grand Slam titles, the most in the Open Era and the second-most of all time. 

Also Read: ATP & WTA Rankings: Most number of weeks as World No.1 Tennis Player

1. Novak Djokovic | 36 Years

Novak Djokovic has overtaken Roger Federer to become the oldest World No.1 tennis player in history as he turned 36 years, 10 months, 17 days on April 9, 2024. Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz will not be able to overtake Djokovic in the rankings before April 15, meaning his record will be extended by at least another week. The Serbian also holds the record for the oldest year-end No. 1 as he was 36 years, 7 months, and 9 days when he topped the rankings on the final day of 2023. In addition, he has the record for most weeks at No. 1 as he currently sits on a staggering 420 weeks – more than 100 weeks clear of Federer in second place – and that number is set to grow. 

Rafael Nadal on Thursday has confirmed on social media that he will not play in the Monte Carlo Masters event.  

Also Read: India's Anirudh Chandrasekar and Vijay Prashanth make place in the quarterfinals of US Men's Clay Court Championship

The former world number one has not participated in an ATP Tour tournament since returning to the court in Brisbane in January. Nadal returned with a lot of promise earlier this year and his performances in Australia raised questions about whether the 37-year-old could compete for the trophy.   

Injuries could be a concern for Nadal

Injuries remain a matter of serious concern for Rafael Nadal. After withdrawing from the Australian Open, Qatar Open and Indian Wells, the 22-time Grand Slam champion has now confirmed that he will be unable to compete at the Monte Carlo Masters next week. Nadal's return after an 11-month sabbatical has not gone according to plan, and missing the start of the clay season is another blow he will have to overcome if he is to prove he is still one of the greatest players in the game. 

Nadal Got injured in Australian Open

Rafael Nadal suffered a hip injury in last year's Australian Open, which forced him to sit out the rest of the season. He returned this year at the Brisbane International, but lost to Jordan Thompson in the quarterfinals. Nadal has not played any tour-level matches since then. However, he did compete against Carlos Alcaraz in an exhibition bout in Las Vegas last month. Former world No. 1 has fallen to 649th in the current ATP rankings. 

Also Read: The Era of the Big Four: Tracing the Dominance and Twilight of Tennis Titans

Nadal has six weeks to get himself fit for French Open

The recurring setbacks will be a major hurdle in Rafael Nadal's season plans, putting his goal of winning the French Open, which he has won 14 times, in jeopardy. He has six weeks to get himself in peak condition for the Grand Slam, and a great performance could allow him to compete at the Paris Olympics 2024 at Roland Garros.