Travel Tips

These two big balls are in front of the Roland Garros boutique; a shop for tennis fans who want a fashionable souvenir of the French Open. Unfortunately the big balls are not for sale, but you can hold them for photo opportunities. (Place hands gently beneath balls and lift.)

Mary Pierce is the last French woman to win the French Open (2000). I met her in Hong Kong during a tournament in 1996 when she beat Aranxta Sanchez and got a handshake from the last Governor, Chris Patten. (See my Victoria Park page.)

Here she is stretching before practice. I believe that is her brother, David, on the far right.

Here is Amelie Mauresmo playing a warm-up match on the outer courts of Roland Garros during the first week of May in 2006. She's in good shape for the upcoming French Open tournament after winning the Australian.

If you come to Paris during early May then there's a good chance you will see top French players practicing at Roland Garros on any given day. Bring your camera, and your racket, just in case.

Imagine you are here walking out onto the red clay of Roland Garros to play in the final of the French Open. Who can forget watching Michael Chang serve underhand to win the championship at age 17? This is where legends are created and a fun place to daydream. If I had just started playing tennis 10 years earlier when I was 4 years old instead of 14, then maybe I would have been playing Michael Chang during that memorable match in June 1989.

The tour guide at Roland Garros shared the famous anecdote about the legend of Lenglen. She was known to drink cognac during the brief rest when players change sides of the court. She won Wimbledon 6 times and is often said to be the first female athlete who was an international celebrity outside her sport.
She shortened her playing skirt and sleeves, a revolutionary choice for female tennis attire at the time. Lenglen was also among the first amateurs to turn professional, which she did after the 1926 Wimbledon tournament when she fainted after missing her court time and making Queen Mary wait too long in the royal box.

It's a long way to Australia (16,950 kilometers) but just a short hop to Wimbledon (365 kilometers). Flushing Meadow (US Open) is only 5830 kilometers away, according to this amusing sign at Roland Garros.

Bjorn Borg won the French Open 4 years in a row. Can you see the man's name who won in 1982 along with Martina Navratilova? Clue: He's Swedish too, but maybe not as famous as Borg.

If you take the grounds tour, you will gain access to many of the places on this sign. You'll see where the prize money is kept, the locker rooms, the players' lounge, and you can even get your racket strung by the Roland Garros "cordeur".
It's a great tour; I highly recommend it. The museum itself is not included in the grounds tour and I don't think it 's as good as the new tennis museum at Wimbledon.