Past French Open Winners

The French Open, also known as Roland-Garros, is a tennis tournament on clay. It has been active since 1891, making it one of the oldest tournaments in the world. Clay is a slower surface, so it’s more physically demanding for players. As a result, players who aren’t used to clay struggle more, meaning it has a wider range of winners and is more likely to produce a surprise. 

Our guide to past French Open winners breaks down some of the biggest surprises from this great tournament.

What is the French Open?

As we already covered, the French Open is a clay tournament that’s been running for over 100 years. It takes place near the end of May each year, with the hotter climate making it even more challenging for players. For players who are more comfortable on the grass, winning is like a lucky spin of the roulette wheel at OMG Casino.

It’s been held at the Stade Roland Garros since 1928, so it offers some familiarity to players who come back year after year. Although there are other major tournaments on clay, the French Open is the only Grand Slam event held on the surface. The prize money for the 2025 male and female winners is €2,550,000, which converts to around $4,000,000.

5. Mats Wilander (1982)

Mats Wilander won the French Open at the age of 17 in 1982. Although the record has been broken since, he was the youngest winner at the time. His victory was a shock to the wider tennis community, as he was a young player, unseeded for the tournament, and ranked 36th in the world. Despite the surprise to the wider tennis community, it didn’t shock many people in his native Sweden.

Wilander had spent many of his formative years playing on clay courts in Sweden. As a result, he stepped into the French Open with an advantage over many other players. In fact, his pro debut was in a clay court tournament, and his only time playing against the legendary Bjorn Borg was on clay courts. It showed as he went on an incredible run to win the event. 

One aspect outside of Wilander’s impressive title win was his sense of fair play. In the semi-final, there was a contentious call for the final point against José Luis Clerc. Wilander called for it to be replayed instead of winning in controversial fashion. It gained him the World Fair Play trophy from the IFPC, adding to his 1982 list of accomplishments.

4. Michael Chang (1989)

Although Wilander was the youngest French Open winner, the record has been broken twice since. First, by Boris Becker, then by the current record holder, Michael Chang. He was 17 years and 109 days old when he won the tournament, although it wasn’t as surprising as Wilander’s win. Chang first burst onto the scene at 15, winning a first round match in the US Open. It was almost expected that he would win a major tournament before he turned 18, and claiming a Grand Slam was the start of a fantastic career for Chang. 

His ranking position was 19 going into the tournament, but his success gave him a boost, and he was 6th after being crowned winner.

3. Albert Costa (2002)

Albert Costa wasn’t a favourite going into the 2002 French Open. He hadn’t won a title since 1999 and was looking likely to fade away. He had other ideas, though, and took the tournament by storm. He started as the 20th seed, but made short work of his opponents in the first three rounds. Then he faced two former world number 1s and a former world number 2 on his journey to claim the trophy. 

He went into the French Open 22nd in the world, but his victory pushed him higher in the rankings than ever. Initially, he broke into the top 10. But the catalyst took him to 6th place, which ended up being his best rank. Costa never won another Grand Slam, but the French Open victory gave him a career renaissance and his largest prize purse.

2. Gaston Gaudio (2004)

2004 started poorly for Gaston Gaudio. His rankings at the start of the year had him in the mid-20s. As it progressed, he slipped into the 30s, and by the time the French Open rolled around, he was ranked 44th. Gaudio was unseeded at the start of the tournament, and no one expected him to get past the first round. 

However, he shocked the world and made it to the final. Even at this point, he was a significant underdog. He had to face Guillermo Coria, known for being impressive on clay. He lost the first set 6-0, and it looked like Gaudio would end his competition with a whimper. He then lost the second set, to further compound his grief. However, he had other ideas and won the following three sets to take the trophy. After winning the French Open, he flew up the rankings and finished 2004 10th in the world.

1. Gustavo Kuerten (1997)

Gustavo Kuerten was a solid player who hadn’t achieved a huge amount when he entered the French Open in 1997. He was ranked 30th in the world, and his victory pushed him into the top 10. However, what made it more impressive was who he beat on the way. Thomas Muster, Yevgeny Kafelnikov, and Sergi Bruguera were all previous French Open winners, showing that Kuerten was a force to be reckoned with. 

Following this victory, he won the French Open twice more, reached the number one position, and was heralded as his generation’s best clay tennis player. It all started when he shocked the world at the French Open.

Who Will Win This Year?

Carlos Alcaraz is the favourite to win the French Open this year, but many other players have a good chance. Novak Djokovic is always competitive, even as he is winding down his career. Jannik Sinner also has a good opportunity as he returns from suspension.