There are different opinions about the venues of the French Closed Championships that were held from 1891 until 1924 and were the precursor of today's French Open. The source for the facts presented here is the book "Tennis: a cultural history" by Heiner Gillmeister. The tournament was opened only to French nationals and other players licensed with French tennis clubs. In 1925, the French Championships became open to all amateur players from all countries.

Île de Puteaux, Paris: 1891, 1893, 1895, 1897, 1899, 1901, 1903, 1905, 1907

The first French Closed Championships was held on the Cercle des Sports de Île Puteaux Club courts. The club's ten sand grounds were situated on the island of Puteaux in the Seine near Bois de Boulogne.

Racing Club de France, Paris: 1892, 1894, 1896, 1898, 1900, 1902, 1904, 1906, 1908, 1910-1914, 1920-1924, 1926

Societe Athletique de la Villa Primrose, Bordeaux: 1909

Stade Francais, Saint Cloud: 1925, 1927

In 1925, French Championships became open to the best foreign players and was held on clay courts at Stade Francais in Saint Cloud Park, Paris. In 1912-1914, 1920, 1921, and 1923 local courts were the venue of the World Hard Court Championships, sometimes called another precursor to the French Open. It was a tournament open to all nationalities, unlike the French Closed Championships, and it was part of a series of three world championships.

Roland Garros, Paris: 1928 - present

Roland Garros Stadium was built in 1928 before France began the first Davis Cup defense against US Team. After the sensation win over America in 1927, the French Tennis Federation and the Government combined efforts to release three hectares of land near the Porte dAuteuil and in 1928, a new tennis stadium named for Roland Garros, a pioneer aviator and World War I hero, became a venue of the Davis Cup and French Open. Now tennis complex consists of twenty courts, including three large-capacity arenas - Court Philippe Chatrier (formerly Court Central), Court Suzanne Lenglen (formerly Court A), and Court 1 with a 3,800-seat capacity, which was opened in 1980.

Roland Garros Stadium Map

Court Philippe Chatrier

Court Philippe Chatrier was built in 1928, and it is the principal venue of the Roland Garros complex with a seating capacity of 14,840 (reduced from 15,166 in 2010 to accommodate new press boxes). In May 2001, formerly known as Court Central, the arena was named to honor Philippe Chatrier (2 February 1926 - 22 June 2000), long-time president of the French Tennis Federation. In 2008, Roland Garros Stadium celebrated its 80th anniversary, and former stands A, B, C, and D of the Court Philippe Chatrier were renamed in honor of the famous Musketeers of French tennis: Jacques BRUGNON (stand A), Jean BOROTRA (stand B), Rene LACOSTE (stand C) and Henri COCHET (stand D). Traditionally the Court Philippe Chatrier has a surface called red clay, made of crushed brick. It is the slowest court in the Grand Slam tournaments.

Court Suzanne Lenglen

Court Suzanne Lenglen is the second arena of Roland Garros. It was inaugurated in 1994 and, initially named "Court A" later gained status as Court Suzanne Lenglen in honor of Suzanne LENGLEN, the French tennis star of the 1920s. The stadium, with a capacity of 10,068 spectators, has a red clay surface with an underground irrigation system, the first of its kind, to control moisture levels within its surface. In 1994, two main stadiums were connected with a walkway called Allee Marcel Bernard in honor of the first French Open champion in Men's Singles after World War II.