In tennis the second grand slam of the year is French Open. It is generally played in the month of June every year. This is the only grand slam tournament which is played on Clay court. Here the ball movement is not fast as compared to hard court or grass court. Therefore players have to suitably adapt themselves to play on this surface, and which is not quite easy. Certainly there are players who play very well on this surface but are not as successful on the other surface. In the winner list you will find some names who are unheard of, as they have not performed well otherwise. Given below is the list of winners and runners ups in the open era.
1968- Ken Rosewell (Aus) beat Rod Laver (Aus) 6-3, 6-1, 2-6, 6-2
1969- Rod Laver (Aus) beat Ken Rosewell (Aus) 6-4, 6-3, 6-4
1970- Jan Kodes (TCH) beat Zeliko Franulovic (Yug) 6-2, 6-6, 6-0
1971- Jan Kodes (TCH) beat Ilie Nastase (Rou) 8-6, 6-2, 2-6, 7-5
1972- Andres Gimeno (ESP) beat Patrick Proisy (Fra) 4-6, 6-3, 6-1, 6-1
1973- Ilie Nastase (Rou) beat Nikola Pilic (Yug) 6-3, 6-3, 6-0
1974- Bjorn Borg (Swe) beat Manuel Oranates (ESP) 2-6, 6-7, 6-0, 6-1, 6-1
1975- Bjorn Bprg (Swe) beat Guillermo Vilas (Arg) 6-2, 6-3, 6-4
1976- Adriano Panatta (Ita) Harold Solomon (USA) 6-1, 6-4, 4-6, 7-6
1977- Guillermo Vilas (Arg) beat Brian Gottfried (USA) 6-0, 6-3, 6-0
1978- Bjorn Borg (Swe) beat Guillermo Vilas (Arg) 6-1, 6-1, 6-3
1979- Bjorn Borg (Swe) beat Victor Pecci (Par) 6-3, 6-1, 7-6, 6-4
1980- Bjorn Borg (Swe) beat Vitas Gerulaitis (USA) 6-4, 6-1, 6-2
1981- Bjorn Borg (Swe) beat Ivan Lendl (TCH) 6-1, 4-6, 6-2, 3-6, 6-1
1982- Mats Wilander (Swe) beat Guillermo Vilas (Arg) 1-6, 7-6, 6-0, 6-4
1983- Yannick Noah (Fra) beat Mats Wilander (Swe) 6-2, 7-5, 7-6
1984- Ivan Lendl (TCH) beat John McEnroe (USA) 3-6, 2-6, 6-4, 7-5, 7-5
1985- Mats Wilander(Swe) beat Ivan Lendl )TCH) 3-6, 6-4, 6-2, 6-2
1986- Ivan Lendl (TCH) beat Mikael Pernfors (Swe) 6-3, 6-2, 6-4
1987- Ivan Lendl (TCH) beat Mats Wilander (Swe) 7-5, 6-2, 3-6, 7-5
1988- Mats Wilander (Swe) beat Henri Laconte (Fra) 7-5, 6-2, 6-1
1989- Michael Chang (USA) beat Stefan Edberg (Swe)6-1, 3-6, 4-6, 6-4, 6-2
1990-Andrez Gomez (Ecu) beat Andre Agassi (USA) 6-3, 2-6, 6-4, 6-4
1991- Jim Courier (USA) beat Andre Agassi (USA) 3-6,6-4, 3-6, 6-1, 6-4
1992- Jim Courier (USA) beat Petr Korda (TCH) 7-5, 6-2, 6-1
1993- Sergi Bruguera (ESP) beat Jim Courier (USA) 6-4,2-6,6-2,3-6, 6-3
1994- Sergi Bruguera (ESP) beat Alberto Berasatequi (ESP) 6-3,7-6,2-6,6-1
1995- Thomas Muster (AUT) beat Michael Chang (USA) 7-5, 6-2, 6-4
1996- Yevgeny Kafelnikov (Rus) beat Michael Stich (Ger) 7-6,7-5, 7-6
1997- Gustavo Kuerten (Bra) beat Sergi Bruguera (ESP) 6-3, 6-4, 6-2
1998- Carlos Moya (ESP) beat Alex Corretia (ESP) 6-3, 7-5, 6-3
1999- Andre Agassi (USA) beat Andrei Medvedev (UKR) 1-6,2-6,6-4,6-3,6-4
2000- Gustavo Kuerten (Bra) beat Magnus Norman (Swe) 6-2, 6-3,2-6, 7-6
2001- Gustavo Kuerten (Bra) beat Alex Corretia (ESP) 6-7, 7-5, 6-2, 6-0
2002- Alber Costa (ESP) beat Juan Carlos Ferrero (ESP) 6-1, 6-0, 4-6, 6-3
2003- Juan Carlos Ferrero (ESP) beat Martin Verkerk (NED) 6-1, 6-3, 6-2
2004- Gaston Gaudio (Arg) beat Guillermo Coria (Arg) 0-6,3-6,6-4,6-1,8-6
2005- Rafael Nadal (ESP) beat Mariano Puerta (Arg) 6-7,6-3, 6-1, 7-5
2006- Rafael Nadal (ESP) beat Roger Federar (SUI) 1-6, 6-1, 6-4, 7-6
2007- Rafael Nadal (ESP) beat Roger Federar (SUI) 6-3, 4-6, 6-3, 6-4
2008- Rafael Nadal (ESP) beat Roger Federar (SUI) 6-1, 6-3, 6-0
2009- Roger Federar (SUI) beat Robert Soderling (Swe) 6-1, 7-6, 6-4
2010- Rafael Nadal (ESP) beat Robert Soderling (Swe) 6-4, 6-2, 6-4
2011- Rafael Nadal (ESP) beat Roger Federar (SUI) 7-5, 7-6, 5-7, 6-1
2012- Rafael Nadal (ESP) beat Novak Djokovic (SRB) 6-4, 6-3, 2-6, 7-5
2013- Rafael Nadal (ESP) beat David Ferrer (ESP) 6-3, 6-2, 6-3
2014- Rafael Nadal (ESP) beat Novak Djokovic (SRB) 3-6, 7-5, 6-2, 6-4
2015- Stan Wawrinka (SUI) beat Novak Djokovic (SRB) 4-6, 6-4, 6-3, 6-4
2016- Novok Djokovic (SRB) beat Andy Murry (GBR) 3-6, 6-1, 6-2, 6-4
2017- Rafael Nadal (ESP) beat Stan Wawrinka (SUI) 6-2, 6-3, 6-1
2018- Rafael Nadal (ESP) beat Dominic Thiem (AUT) 6-4, 6-3, 6-2
2019- Rafael Nadal (ESP) beat Dominic Thiem (AUT) 6-3, 5-7, 6-1, 6-1
2020- Rafael Nadal ( ESP) beat Novak Djokovic (SRB) 6-0, 6-2, 7-5
2021- Novak Djokovic (SRB) beat Stefanos Tsitsipas (GRE) 6-7, 2-6, 6-3, 6-2, 6-4
You will notice from the above most of the winners in this grand slam are from Europe. Rafael Nadal of Spain winning the title 13 times, which itself is record in open era as no player has won the title so many times in any of the grand slams .
Waiting, for your views on this blog.
Anil Malik
Mumbai, India
29th October 2021 167-21
R. N. Mungale.
Good information!