Rolex and tennis

Roland-Garros

Mastering clay

Leaving one’s mark

Longer rallies, higher bounces, an unpredictable rhythm and frequent sliding.

The only Grand Slam® tournament to be played on clay, Roland-Garros is a unique challenge that requires players to be in peak physical condition. To win on the ochre courts at Porte d’Auteuil is to live up to the maxim inscribed above the entrance to centre court: “Victory belongs to the most tenacious.”

To have my name added to the list of winners at Roland-Garros is something incredible. I’ve dreamed of this moment and of being here since I started playing tennis.

Carlos Alcaraz, winner of Roland‑Garros in 2024

A complex built for the future

After the completion of the 2018 championship, an overhaul of the Roland-Garros complex was undertaken to showcase the full potential of this Grand Slam® tennis tournament. The seating capacity of the main arena, Court Philippe-Chatrier, has been increased to more than 15,000. It has also been fitted with a retractable roof so that players and spectators are no longer subjected to the whims of the weather. Since 2021, matches have been played at night under lights, giving as many people as possible the chance to experience the thrill of these top-class contests.

Since 2019, Rolex has been the Premium Partner and Official Timekeeper of Roland‑Garros.

Alcaraz and Świątek
A golden generation

In 2025, two successful athletes return to Roland-Garros to defend their titles. Iga Świątek, the modern-day queen of clay, has already won the tournament four times, including the past three editions. And Carlos Alcaraz, who became the youngest player to win a Grand Slam® title on all three surfaces – hard court, grass and clay – when he clinched victory in 2024.