Beyond the Red Clay: Explore the Legends and Legacy of Roland-Garros
Every spring, the tennis world turns its eyes to the iconic red clay courts of Paris for Roland-Garros, a tournament defined by intense physicality and rich tradition. But tennis fans don’t need a ticket to France to immerse themselves in the history and stories of this legendary event.
Thanks to the International Tennis Hall of Fame’s extensive archives, you can explore the legacy of Roland-Garros right from your screen or in person in Newport. Here is how the ITHF brings the tournament’s magic and the history of French tennis legends to life.
Art on the Court: 46 Years of Iconic Posters
In 1980, the French Tennis Federation and the Roland-Garros Championships Committee partnered with Galerie Lelong & Co. to launch a beautiful tradition: commissioning contemporary artists from around the world to design the tournament's official annual poster. Through these diverse pieces, creators bring fine art to a sports audience, proving that tennis itself is an art form, where the players are artists, the court is a canvas, the racquet is a paintbrush, and the ball is the paint.
The tradition lives on in 2026, and the ITHF has curated all 46 years of these stunning designs in our digital exhibit, Roland-Garros: A Tribute.
Courting Fashion: Style Icons of the Clay
In the 20th century, European tennis was at the forefront of fashion innovation, driven in part by French style pioneers.
In Courting Fashion, one of the ITHF’s original digital exhibits, you can discover how Hall of Famers like Suzanne Lenglen and René Lacoste seamlessly blended beauty and functionality, leaving a permanent mark on tennis style.
Black lace dress worn by Venus Williams at the 2010 French Open
Etched in History: The Ultimate Prizes
No deep dive into Roland-Garros is complete without a look at the ultimate hardware. Through our interactive Etched in History digital exhibit, fans can get an up-close look at the prestigious silverware awarded to several of the tournament's greatest champions.
Complete with archival photos of legendary players lifting these exact awards, the digital collection includes the take-home trophies won by Hall of Famers Chris Evert, Stefanie Graf, Mats Wilander, Mark Woodforde, and Martina Hingis.
1982 French Open Men's Singles Championship Trophy presented to Mats Wilander
1988 French Open Women's Singles Championship trophy presented to Stefanie Graf
TennisWorthy: Champion-Class Storytelling
Hear the best stories of the sport from the legends who lived them. Grounded in the defining values of the game, the ITHF’s TennisWorthy series highlights exclusive, first-person accounts of career-defining accomplishments from several Hall of Famers on the Parisian clay.
Walk the Galleries: Legendary Artifacts Live in Newport
If you want to see history in person, plan your trip to the museum to view several historic Roland-Garros artifacts on display right now. Highlights of the current display include:
The racquet Roger Federer used to secure his career Grand Slam in 2009.
The kit design worn by the winningest champion in tournament history, Rafael Nadal, during his 2011 title run.
Clay-marked shoes and clothing from legends like Chris Evert, Steffi Graf, Martina Hingis, and Gustavo "Guga" Kuerten.
