Profession tennis players endure a long 11 month season, full of different flights, places, courts and fans. Though it’s all generally grueling, nothing is more so from the end of May to the middle of June--where players try to accomplish the daunting task of winning back-to-back Grand Slams*, on two completely different surfaces. First comes the French Open, where players compete on the red, slow terre battue; a surface they have been competing on since April and then, weeks later, quickly travel up north to compete on fast, grass for the next week or so before playing on the historic lawns at Wimbledon. The good news? 2014 marks the last time these two Grand Slams will be two weeks apart, and in 2015, Wimbledon will be moved back a week to allow a more comfortable, three week break (or preparation) for the players. These are the characteristics and statistics that make up the historic Slams and the tennis champions that conquered both.
4. A closer look into the two Grand Slams that are
weeks apart and on completely different surfaces.
First the French Open, on the red, slow terre
battue and then, on the fast grass at Wimbledon.
Only 10 players in the Open era have won the
Channel Slam.
5. founded
1928
founded
1877
FRENCH OPEN WIMBLEDON
oldest tennis
tournament
in the world
also known
as Roland
Garros
2 Avenue Gordon
Bennett, 75016
PARIS FRANCE
Church Rd. Wimbledon,
London, SW19 5AE
LONDON ENGLAND
LOCATION
VIEW THE INFOGRAPHICVIEW THE INFOGRAPHIC
6. 100% RYE GRASSTERRE BATTUE
Red crush brick
and particles
8mm high blades
PLAYING STYLE
SURFACE MATERIAL
Terre battue allows
the ball to move
slower and bounce
higher, making
points longer.
Grass allows the ball
to bounce lower and
skid off the court,
making points quicker.
FRENCH OPEN WIMBLEDON
VIEW THE INFOGRAPHIC
7. £1.76 MILLION££9.21 MILLION€
PRIZE MONEY FOR 2014 SINGLES CHAMPIONS
€15.38%
increase
from 2013
£10%
increase
from 2013
women’s trophy
(singles)
men’s trophy
(singles)
women’s trophy
(singles)
men’s trophy
(singles)
FRENCH OPEN WIMBLEDON
VIEW THE INFOGRAPHIC
8. FRENCH OPEN WIMBLEDON
FOOD CONSUMPTION
“STRAWBERRIES
AND CREAM”
FRENCH FRIES
9.5 TONS of 28,000 KG of
(on average, during the two
week tournament)
(During the 2011
French Open)
VIEW THE INFOGRAPHIC
9. FRENCH OPEN WIMBLEDON
LONGEST MATCH
11HOURS
5MIN.
6HOURS
33MIN.
3 DAY DURATION2 DAY DURATION
20102004
Fabrice
Santoro
FRANCE
Arnaud
Clement
FRANCE
DEF.
John
Isner
USA
Nicolas
Mahut
FRANCE
DEF.
Longest
match in
Open era
VIEW THE INFOGRAPHIC
10. FRENCH OPEN WIMBLEDON
SHORTEST MATCH
32MIN.
19221988
Steffi
Graf
GERMANY
Natasha
Zvereva
BELARUS
DEF.
Suzanne
Lenglen
FRANCE
Molla
Mallory
USA
DEF.
23MIN.
VIEW THE INFOGRAPHIC
11. FRENCH OPEN WIMBLEDON
MAIN COURTS
CENTRE COURT
15,000 SEATS
PHILIPPE CHATRIER
15,059 SEATS
430,093 SPECTATORS
Record attendance (2012):
511,043 SPECTATORS
Record attendance (2009):
VIEW THE INFOGRAPHIC
12. FRENCH OPEN WIMBLEDON
MOST TITLES
male
female
Rafael Nadal
Spain8
Chris Evert
USA7
male
female
Pete Sampras
USA
Roger Federer
Switzerland7
Martina
Navratilova
USA9
VIEW THE INFOGRAPHIC
13. BILLIE JEAN KING
USA
MARGARET COURT
AUSTRAILIA
ROD LAVER
AUSTRAILIA
During the Open era (1968-present)
channel slam
winners
1969
1970
1972
CHRIS EVERT
USA
Won all
four Grand
Slams in
1970
1974
VIEW THE INFOGRAPHIC
14. BJORN BORG
SWEDEN
1978, 1979, 1980
1982, 1984
MARTINA NAVRATILOVA
USA/CZECH REPUBLIC
2002
SERENA WILLIAMS
USA (Active player)
2009
ROGER FEDERER
SWITZERLAND (Active player)
2008, 2010
RAFAEL NADAL
SPAIN (Active player)
STEFFI GRAF
GERMANY
1988, 1993, 1995, 1996
Only man to
win the
Channel
Slam three
times
Holds the
record for the
most Channel
Slams
VIEW THE INFOGRAPHIC