Francesca Schiavone
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She was the 1st Italian tennis player to taste Grand Slam success. Schiavone made her country proud when she lifted the 2010 Roland Garros women’s trophy. Francesca achieved her success the hard way beating the likes of Serena Williams on her way to the final.
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The 2010 French Open was her 1st ever Grand Slam final as she beat Australia’s Smantha Stosur to be crowned as French Open champion that year. She was 29 years and 347 days old when she won the French Open making her one of the oldest players to do so. Schiavone again reached the French Open final in 2011 but finished runner up that year to China’s Li Na.
Steffi Graf
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She was one of the greatest Grand Slam performers ever. A winner of 22 Majors Steffi was nicknamed as Fraulein Forehand. Graf won each of the 4 majors at least 4 times in her career.
In her amazing career Graf would win 6 times at Roland Garros.
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The 1st of those titles came in 1987. Interestingly this was Steffi’s 1st ever Grand Slam. Twelve years later the German sensation won her final Grand Slam at the same tournament. She was aged 29 years and 356 days at that time. Graf defeated an upcoming star Martina Hingis in the 1999 French final in a 3 set thriller.
Margaret Court
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This Australian sensation is regarded as one of the greatest female players of all time. In her 17 year long career she won 24 Major titles, a record which no women has achieved yet.
Six of those titles came at Roland Garros Court’s 6th French title came in 1973 when she defeated Chris Evert in a 3 set thriller, which could have gone any way.
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Court came from a 1 set deficit to win the last 2 sets and clinch the trophy. Courts 1973 Roland Garros win came at the age of 30 years and 321 days.
Chris Evert
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Evert is indisputably regarded as the greatest female clay court player of all time. She won the French Open title 7 times and also finished as a finalist 3 times. Also she won the US Open 3 times when it was held on clay.
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Evert’s 18th Grand Slam titles which was also her last came on the red clay of Roland Garros in 1986. She defeated her great friend and arch rival Martina Navratilova in 3 sets. Evert was aged 31 years and 168 days then and thus was the 2nd oldest female player to win the French Open title.
Serena Williams
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This great American tennis icon could finish as the Greatest Grand Slam holder of all time. Serena has won 23 slams and is looking to improve Margaret Court’s record of 24.Serena has won the French Open 3 times in her glittering career despite Clay being her weakest surface on the tour.
The younger Williams won the 2015 French Open beating Italy’s Lucie Safarova in 3 sets. She was aged 33 years and 253 days at that time making her the oldest champion to win the Suzanne Lenglen trophy. Serena again entered Roland Garros final in 2016 to improve her already made history. However this time she lost easily to Spain’s Garbine Mugaruza.
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Williams won her first French Open title in 2002 beating her sister Venus in the final. She had to wait for 11 more years before winning the title again.
In 2014, she was again the top-seed but was upset by young Garbine Muguruza in the second round. Fast-forward to 2015 and Serena maintained her top-seeding and started the tournament the overwhelming favorite. 5 of her 7 matches was decided in 3 sets and on 4 of those occasions, she dropped the first set. It was her hardest path to victory in any of her 23 Grand Slam triumphs. Williams was 32 years, 253 days old at the time of her victory.