Roland Garros was a French aviator and a fighter pilot during World War I. He was shot down and killed a month before the end of the war, but his name lives on with the Tournoi de Roland-Garros, known better on these shores as the French Open.

We associate the French Open with its clay courts, but when the first tournament was held in 1891, there was only one kind of tennis: lawn tennis. It wasn’t until 1912 that red clay was first used. And it wasn’t until 1968 that the tournament became a true Open, allowing both amateurs and professionals to compete.

France’s Max Decugis won eight men’s singles titles between 1903 and 1914; Bjorn Borg of Sweden holds the record with six championships during the Open Era. Chris Evert has seven women’s titles on her resume – she didn’t lose a singles match on clay for six years between 1973 and 1979. Now that’s a solid betting trend.

Get your French Open odds here!

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