Roland Garros, also known as the French Open, is one of the most iconic tennis tournaments in the world and the biggest on clay courts, so it’s natural to have questions about the Roland Garros rules.
In fact, the competition has a specific set of rules that guarantee exciting matches;
In this article, we’ll explore all the Roland Garros rules and answer frequently asked questions such as the number of sets in a match, the points earned for the ATP ranking and the average length of matches.
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List of all Roland Garros rules: complete manual
Game Format
There is a difference between the Roland Garros rules regarding the number of sets in a match.
- Men’s Singles: Best of five sets.
- Women’s Singles: Best of three sets.
- Doubles (Men’s, Women’s and Mixed): Best of three sets.
Set scores
At Roland Garros, a set is won by the player or pair who wins at least six games, with a minimum difference of two games over their opponent.
The score in a game is counted in a unique way in tennis
- 1 point: “15”
- 2 points: “30”
- 3 points: “40”
- 4 points: “Game” (if the player has a two-point advantage)
One of the special Roland Garros rules is that, traditionally, there is no tiebreak in the fifth set (men) or third set (women), requiring players to win by two games.
Read also: Tennis Glossary: ace, volley, fault, deuce, serve and more!
Time between points and games
- Players have 25 seconds between points to start the next serve.
- The interval between games is 90 seconds, except after the first game of each set and during a tiebreak.
Dropouts
- If a player cannot continue the game due to injury or another valid reason, the opponent is declared the winner.
How does the tournament work?
The rule at Roland Garros to progress to the next stage of the championship and get closer to the final is to win your matches. The tournament is divided into the following stages:
- First Round
- Second Round
- Third Round
- Fourth Round
- Quarter-finals
- Semi-Final
- Final
With each victory, the player advances to the next stage. This means that each round, half the players are eliminated, and half continue in the tournament, until two reach the final.
Also read: How to Bet on Tennis at Betano: step by step and strategies
Qualifying stage
Another rule at Roland Garros is the qualifying round, which takes place before the main competition begins.
Not all athletes go through it, after all, many go straight to the main stage;
For the qualifiers, the players are competing for places on the main draw.
Who can play Roland Garros?
Generally speaking, there are three ways for tennis players to qualify for the Grand Slams of tennis.
- be one of the best ranked and registered tennis players;
- win all three qualifying rounds;
- receive an invitation.
A total of 128 players compete in the main draw of each Grand Slam: 104 by ranking, 16 by qualification and 8 by wildcards.
There are also 128 doubles players, which means there are 64 doubles teams.
The following tournaments will take place throughout the event:
- simple masculine;
- simple feminine;
- men’s doubles;
- women’s doubles;
- mixed doubles.
Qualification for Roland Garros via ranking
To qualify for Roland Garros through the rankings, players need to be among the top 104 players who have entered the tournament, not the top 104 ranked players in the world.
It’s common for not all players to be able to play all the Grand Slam tournaments, and several of them often miss out due to injury.
Qualifying for Roland Garros through qualifying
As only 16 players out of 128 can get a place in the tournament through the qualifying rounds, these can be highly competitive.
In total, the tennis players who make it through qualifying need to win all three of their qualifying matches.
In 2024, all the Brazilians who played in the qualifying round made it through to the main tournament;
Frequently asked questions about Roland Garros rules
How many sets are there in a Roland Garros match?
A men’s tennis match at Roland Garros can take up to five sets, and you have to win three sets to win the match. In the women’s singles and doubles competition, the matches are up to three sets, and you have to win two sets to win the match.
How many ATP ranking points do you get at Roland Garros?
The winners of the men’s singles, women’s singles, men’s doubles and women’s doubles tournaments earn 2000 AT ranking points, while the scores for the tennis players eliminated in the previous stages are distributed as follows:
- Men’s singles and doubles finalist: 1200 points
- Women’s singles and doubles finalist: 1300 points
- Men’s semi-finalist: 720 points
- Women’s semi-finalist: 780 points
- Men’s quarter-final: 360 points
- Women’s quarter-final: 430 points
- Men’s fourth round: 180 points
- Women’s fourth round: 240 points
- Men’s third round: 90 points
- Women’s third round: 130 points
- Second round men’s singles: 45 points
- Women’s singles second round: 70 points
- Women’s second double round: 10 points
- First round men’s and women’s singles: 10 points
How long does a Roland Garros match last?
The length of a match at Roland Garros can vary considerably, but on average:
- Men’s Singles: matches lasting between 2 and 4 hours, with some exceptions exceeding 5 hours.
- Women’s Singles: matches between 1.5 and 3 hours.
- Doubles: departures from 1.5 to 3 hours.
Roland Garros is a tournament that demands not only technical skill, but also great physical and mental stamina from the players;
The specific rules for the clay surface and the structure of the tournament guarantee intense and exciting matches;
We hope this guide has clarified the main Roland Garros rules and helped you better understand the dynamics of the event;
Now just enjoy the games, choose your favorites and have fun with this sport that provides unforgettable moments;
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