Overview: Do Tennis Players Keep the French Open Trophy?
The French Open is the second of the four Grand Slam tournaments in professional tennis. It is the premier clay-court tournament held each year in Paris, France. The tournament is held over two weeks between late May and early June and is considered one of the most prestigious in the sport. After the tournament is complete, the singles and doubles champions are awarded the Coupe des Mousquetaires and the Coupe Suzanne Lenglen, respectively. But the question remains: do tennis players keep the French Open trophy?
The answer is no. The Coupe des Mousquetaires and the Coupe Suzanne Lenglen trophies are awarded to the tournament champions each year but are not kept by the players. Instead, the trophies are returned to the French Tennis Federation, who store them and later display them in their museum.
History of the French Open
The French Open, also known as Roland Garros, is the only Grand Slam tournament played on clay courts. It is named after the French aviator and World War I hero, Roland Garros, who was the first person to fly solo across the Mediterranean Sea. The tournament has been held at the Stade Roland Garros since 1928 and is the oldest of the four Grand Slams.
The tournament is organized by the French Tennis Federation and is part of the ATP (Association of Tennis Professionals) World Tour Masters 1000 and the WTA (Women’s Tennis Association) Tour. The French Open is one of the most prestigious and difficult tournaments to win, and it attracts some of the best players in the world.
Coupe des Mousquetaires and Coupe Suzanne Lenglen
The Coupe des Mousquetaires and the Coupe Suzanne Lenglen are two trophies awarded to the singles champions of the French Open. The Coupe des Mousquetaires is the men’s singles trophy, while the Coupe Suzanne Lenglen is the women’s singles trophy. Both trophies are silver and feature a figure of the tournament’s mascots, the Musketeers, on the lid.
The trophies are the same each year, and the names of the previous year’s winners are engraved on the side. The names are engraved in a spiral pattern, so the most recent winner is always at the top.
Do Tennis Players Keep the French Open Trophy?
The answer is no. The trophies are not kept by the players, but rather are returned to the French Tennis Federation. The trophies are housed in the Federation’s museum and are displayed there. The trophies are also displayed in the tournament’s trophy room.
The players are given replicas of the trophies to keep, but these are much smaller than the actual trophies and are not made of silver. The replicas are usually made of pewter or some other metal, and they are engraved with the player’s name and the tournament logo.
What Do the Winners Receive?
In addition to the replicas, the winners of the French Open receive a cash prize. The prize money is divided between the men’s and women’s singles champions, with the winner of the men’s singles receiving €2.3 million and the winner of the women’s singles receiving €2.1 million.
The men’s and women’s doubles champions also receive a cash prize, with the winners receiving €420,000 and €380,000 respectively. The prize money is shared between the two players in each team.
The French Open Legends
The French Open has been won by some of the greatest players in the history of the game. Rafael Nadal is the most successful player in the history of the tournament, having won a record twelve titles. Other great champions include Bjorn Borg, Ivan Lendl, Steffi Graf, Chris Evert, and Roger Federer.
The French Open in Popular Culture
The French Open has been featured in a number of films and television shows. In the movie Raging Bull, Robert De Niro plays a boxer who dreams of playing at the French Open. In the film Wimbledon, Paul Bettany and Kirsten Dunst play tennis players competing in the tournament.
The tournament has also been featured in the television series Friends, The O.C., and Gossip Girl.
The French Open 2021
The 2021 French Open is scheduled to take place from May 22 to June 13. Like all of the other Grand Slam tournaments, the tournament will be impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic and will likely have reduced capacity or no spectators.
The tournament will feature some of the greatest players in the world, including Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal, Serena Williams, and Roger Federer.
Conclusion
The French Open is one of the most prestigious events in tennis and is the only Grand Slam tournament played on clay courts. The tournament is held each year in Paris and features some of the best players in the world. The singles champions are awarded the Coupe des Mousquetaires and the Coupe Suzanne Lenglen trophies, but do tennis players keep the French Open trophy?
The answer is no. The trophies are returned to the French Tennis Federation and are displayed in their museum. The players are given replicas of the trophies to keep, but these are much smaller than the actual trophies and are not made of silver. The winners of the tournament also receive a cash prize.