FRENCH CHAMPIONSHIPS

byname French Open, French in full Championnats Internationaux De France De Tennis (France's International Championships of Tennis), international tennis championship tournament established as a men's interclub competition in 1891. The first French national championships were held in the Stade Franais. In 1897 women's singles matches were added to tournament play. Women's doubles matches were added in 1925, the same year that the French Championships were opened to non-French players. In 1968 the tournament was opened to professional as well as amateur players, as were a number of the most established championships. Play moved in 1928 to the Stade Roland-Garros, which contains clay courts. The French Championships are generally held in late Mayearly June. They are a constituent tournament in the Big Four, or Grand Slam, of tennis.