The second major of the calendar year arrives in Paris next week, as the 125th edition of the French Open gets underway. Although hundreds of elite players are dreaming of clinching silverware at Roland Garros, only one individual or team can emerge triumphant in each event. <\/p>\n
So, who has had the privilege of winning this competition during the Open Era?\n<\/p>\n
Established in 1891 as the \u2018French Championships\u2019 before assuming its current title almost eight decades later, the French Open is one of the world\u2019s most prestigious sporting events. Alongside the Australian Open, Wimbledon, and U.S. Open, it forms the revered Grand Slam of tennis.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Although the tournament is well over a century old, professionals have only been permitted to compete at Roland Garros since 1968. It was the first major to extend its entry pool beyond amateurs, with the others following suit over the subsequent eight months. Our attention will be exclusively focused on the Open Era, the start of which pre-empted a radical transformation in the way that tennis is played, watched, and marketed. \u00a0<\/p>\n
The French Open consists of multiple events, including the men\u2019s and women\u2019s singles, the men\u2019s and women\u2019s doubles, mixed doubles, junior singles and doubles, and several wheelchair classifications. It\u2019s worth noting that wheelchair matches weren\u2019t introduced until the turn of the millennium, but have since become increasingly popular amongst tennis enthusiasts. All of these events adopt a straightforward single-elimination format, with the field reduced in each round until two finalists remain.<\/p>\n
Although the tournament’s prize fund continues to grow exponentially, several high-profile players have suggested that the French Open’s financial reward structure lacks integrity<\/a>. There is no gender pay gap in place across any of the four majors, so male and female players are compensated equally.\u00a0<\/p>\n The total purse for the 2026 French Open<\/a> stands at an eye-watering \u20ac61.273 million, a considerable 9.53% uplift on last year\u2019s figure. Carlos Alcaraz and Coco Gauff were handed \u20ac2.55 million for winning the 2025 men\u2019s<\/a> and women\u2019s singles events, respectively, while the Spanish superstar<\/a> pocketed \u20ac2.4 million as a result of being crowned champion 12 months earlier. However, Alcaraz will miss the upcoming tournament due to injury.<\/p>\n This year\u2019s winners stand to receive \u20ac2.8m, while every other player \u2013 including those participating in the initial qualifying competition \u2013 will receive some level of payment.\u00a0<\/p>\n Who has enjoyed the most success at the French Open?<\/p>\n There have been a considerable number of players who have won multiple titles at the French Open, but no one can remotely challenge Rafael Nadal<\/a>\u2019s sensational record. The undisputed King of Roland Garros, Nadal won the tournament on no less than 14 occasions throughout his highly decorated career. Let\u2019s take a brief look at each of those triumphs\u2026.\u00a0<\/p>\n 2005: Just two days after celebrating his nineteenth birthday, Nadal became the first man in 23 years to lift the Coupe des Mousquetaires on his French Open debut. After Mariano Puerta \u2013 a player eight years Nadal\u2019s senior \u2013 claimed a first-set tie-breaker in the final, the Spanish teenager bounced back to record an immensely impressive 3-1 victory.<\/p>\n 2006: Having stopped Roger Federer<\/a> from completing a career grand slam by knocking him out of the French Open semi-finals in 2005, Nadal thwarted the Swiss supremo for a second consecutive occasion \u2013 this time in the final \u2013 the following year.\u00a0<\/p>\n 2007: In a repeat of the previous year\u2019s final, Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer clashed in Roland Garros\u2019 2007 showpiece. The outcome was exactly the same, with the Mallorcan winning in four sets to frustrate Federer once again.\u00a0<\/p>\n 2008: Yet another showdown with Federer awaited Nadal in the 2008 final, although his victory on this occasion was a little more straightforward. Nadal didn\u2019t drop a set throughout the entire tournament, a feat he would go on to replicate in the 2010, 2017, and 2020 editions of the tournament.\u00a0<\/p>\n 2010:\u00a0After suffering his first-ever loss in the French Open in 2009, Nadal returned to Roland Garros with the bit between his teeth. The Spaniard\u2019s opponent in the final was none other than Robin S\u00f6derling, the same player who had inflicted that maiden defeat a year earlier.\u00a0<\/p>\n 2011: Having eventually achieved the holy grail two years prior, Roger Federer was out to secure a double grand slam in the 2011 French Open final. However, his opponent had other ideas. After a tightly contested opening three sets, Nadal took the fourth in scintillating fashion to land his tenth major title.\u00a0<\/p>\n 2012: By the time the following summer rolled around, there was a new threat on the horizon. Novak Djokovic<\/a> hadn\u2019t won a set against Rafael Nadal at Roland Garros in four previous attempts, but ran him close in the 2012 final. Nevertheless, the gifted left-hander ultimately prevailed, beating Djokovic 3-1 to surpass Bj\u00f6rn Borg<\/a>\u2019s record tally of seven French Open crowns.\u00a0<\/p>\n 2013: After edging past Djokovic in what many consider to be the greatest clay court match of all time, Nadal met compatriot David Ferrer in the 2013 final. Another straight-sets triumph duly followed.\u00a0<\/p>\n 2014:\u00a0By the conclusion of the 2014 French Open, Nadal had secured more titles at a single tournament than any other player in history. Djokovic once again succumbed to Nadal\u2019s powerful baseline strokes, losing 4-1 in front of a packed Court Philippe-Chatrier.\u00a0<\/p>\n 2017:\u00a0The three-year wait for his next French Open title must have felt like an eternity to Rafael Nadal, who always seemed invincible on the clay courts<\/a> of Roland Garros regardless of his form elsewhere. Nadal defeated 2015 champion Stan Wawrinka to get his hands on the Coupe des Mousquetaires for a tenth time, having once again cruised throughout the tournament without conceding a set.\u00a0<\/p>\n 2018: Ahead of Dominic Thiem\u2019s valiant efforts at the 2018 French Open, no Austrian had appeared in a major singles final for 23 years. Although his compatriot Thomas Muster went on to be crowned champion at Roland Garros in 1995, Thiem unfortunately fell at the last hurdle. You can probably guess who beat him in the showpiece\u2026<\/p>\n 2019: Thiem didn\u2019t have to wait long for a shot at redemption, as the 2018 French Open final was a repeat of the previous year. Although he pushed his opponent further on this occasion by taking the second set, the Austrian was unable to prevent Nadal\u2019s inevitable march to yet another title. \u00a0<\/p>\n 2020: With social distancing measures still in place following the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic, only 1,000 spectators were permitted to watch the 2020 French Open final. Having suffered his first \u2018bagel\u2019 set (0-6) and won just seven games throughout, Djokovic was perhaps relieved that his heavy defeat to Nadal unfolded in front of a reduced audience.<\/p>\n \u00a0 2022: Nadal\u2019s route to his fourteenth and final Roland Garros crown was perhaps the toughest, having faced no less than four top-ten-ranked players throughout the tournament. After beating the likes of top seed Novak Djokovic and talented Canadian teenager F\u00e9lix Auger-Aliassime, the Spaniard comfortably dispatched Casper Ruud in the final.<\/p>\n Serial Winners\u00a0<\/p>\n The most successful players in each of the events staged at the French Open are listed below. Please note that only titles earned in the Open Era (1968 onwards) have been taken into account, while junior champions are not included in this list.\u00a0<\/p>\n Men\u2019s Singles: Rafael Nadal (Spain) \u2013 14 titles<\/p>\n