2022 French Open
The 2022 French Open was a professional tennis tournament held on outdoor red clay courts at the Stade Roland-Garros in Paris, France, from 22 May to 5 June.[1] It marked the second Grand Slam event of the annual series and featured the premier competitions in men's and women's singles, doubles, and mixed doubles, along with junior, wheelchair, and legends events.[2] In the men's singles, Rafael Nadal of Spain secured a record-extending 14th title at the tournament—and his 22nd Grand Slam singles crown overall—by defeating Casper Ruud of Norway 6–3, 6–3, 6–0 in the final, extending his unbeaten streak at Roland Garros to 112 matches.[3][4] In the women's singles, Iga Świątek of Poland dominated the draw to win her second French Open title, beating Coco Gauff of the United States 6–1, 6–3 in the final after dropping just one set throughout the tournament.[2][5] The event underscored Nadal's unparalleled mastery on clay, while Świątek emerged as a leading force in women's tennis, with both champions showcasing tactical precision and endurance suited to the slow, high-bouncing surface.[3][2] Men's doubles was claimed by Marcelo Arévalo of El Salvador and Jean-Julien Rojer of the Netherlands, and women's doubles by Barbora Krejčíková of the Czech Republic and Katerina Siniaková of the Czech Republic.[6]Overview
Dates and tournament schedule
The qualifying rounds for the 2022 French Open took place from May 16 to May 20, determining 16 singles entrants each for the men's and women's main draws.[7][8] The main draw commenced on May 22 and concluded on June 5, spanning 15 days of competition across singles, doubles, and mixed doubles events for professionals, alongside junior and wheelchair tournaments.[8][1] The schedule adhered to the standard Grand Slam structure, with first-round singles matches distributed over May 22–26 to accommodate 128-player fields, followed by second-round matches on May 27–28, third-round matches on May 29–30, round-of-16 matches on May 31–June 1, quarterfinals on June 2–3, semifinals on June 2 (women's singles) and June 3 (men's singles), the women's singles final on June 4, and the men's singles final on June 5.[9][1] Doubles events progressed on a parallel but slightly compressed timeline, with semifinals and finals concluding just prior to or concurrent with singles counterparts, while mixed doubles finals occurred on June 2.[10] Junior events ran from May 30 to June 5, and wheelchair competitions from May 29 to June 4.[11] Matches were played exclusively on outdoor red clay courts, with daily play typically beginning at 11:00 a.m. local time and night sessions under lights introduced on select courts starting in 2021.[9]Venue, surface, and playing conditions
The 2022 French Open took place at Stade Roland Garros in Paris, France, a 21-acre complex encompassing 20 tennis courts, three of which are stadium courts: Court Philippe-Chatrier (capacity approximately 15,000), Court Suzanne Lenglen (capacity approximately 10,000), and Court Simonne Mathieu (capacity approximately 5,000).[12][13][14] The venue hosted matches outdoors across these courts, with full spectator capacity restored following COVID-19 restrictions in prior years. The playing surface is red clay, unique among Grand Slam tournaments and composed of a thin 1-2 mm top layer of crushed red brick dust—sourced at 1.1 tons per standard court and 1.5 tons for Philippe-Chatrier—overlaid on a 6-7 cm layer of crushed white limestone, followed by 7-8 cm of clinker (volcanic residue), at least 30 cm of crushed gravel, and a base of stones, yielding a total depth of about 80 cm with integrated drainage.[15] Courts are rebuilt annually in March over six weeks, involving smoothing the limestone base and reapplying brick dust, then maintained daily by a team of up to 100 during the tournament through watering adjusted for temperature and humidity, plus calcium chloride pellets to retain moisture and enhance the characteristic ochre color.[16] Clay conditions demand greater physical endurance than faster surfaces like grass or hard courts, as the material absorbs ball speed, produces high bounces, and encourages prolonged baseline rallies—often exceeding those on other surfaces—while necessitating sliding footwork that leaves visible slide marks and footprints, altering the court's texture point by point.[17][16] The surface's firmness minimizes erratic rebounds, providing consistent play praised by competitors for its quality.[16] Variable Paris weather in late May and early June, with average daytime temperatures around 21°C and frequent rain disrupting roughly one-third of match days historically, further slows the clay when damp, amplifying endurance demands and prompting delays; only Court Philippe-Chatrier featured a retractable roof, operational since 2020, to enable covered play during inclement conditions, while other courts remained exposed.[18][19][20] Night sessions under lights were introduced on select courts to extend play, though cooler evening temperatures and potential dew could subtly alter grip and speed.[18]Prize money and ranking points
The total prize money distributed at the 2022 French Open amounted to €43.6 million, marking a recovery from pandemic-related reductions in prior years.[21] This purse was allocated equally across men's and women's events, with a focus on increasing payouts for early-round exits to support lower-ranked players.[21] For singles competitions, the champion in both the men's and women's draws earned €2,300,000, while the runner-up received €1,150,000; semifinalists took home €600,000 each, and quarterfinalists €380,000.[22] Further progression details are as follows:| Round | Prize Money (€) |
|---|---|
| Winner | 2,300,000 |
| Runner-up | 1,150,000 |
| Semifinal | 600,000 |
| Quarterfinal | 380,000 |
| Round of 16 | 225,000 |
| Third round | 156,000 |
| Second round | 106,000 |
| First round | 71,000 |
| Stage | Points |
|---|---|
| Winner | 2,000 |
| Runner-up | 1,300 |
| Semifinal | 800 |
| Quarterfinal | 400 |
| Round of 16 | 200 |
| Third round | 120 |
| Second round | 70 |
| First round | 10 |
| Stage | Points |
|---|---|
| Winner | 2,000 |
| Runner-up | 1,300 |
| Semifinal | 780 |
| Quarterfinal | 430 |
| Round of 16 | 240 |
| Third round | 130 |
| Second round | 70 |
| First round | 10 |
Participants
Seeding, draws, and notable entries
The seeding for the men's and women's singles draws at the 2022 French Open was based on the ATP and WTA rankings released on May 16, 2022, with 32 players seeded in each event to distribute top-ranked competitors across the 128-player brackets and minimize early clashes between favorites.[25] Seeded players were placed at the top and bottom of their respective quarters, with further distribution handled via a computerized draw process.[26] The main draw ceremony occurred on May 19, 2022, prior to the tournament's start on May 22.[27] In the men's singles, top seed Novak Djokovic, the 2021 champion and world No. 1, headlined the field alongside second seed Daniil Medvedev, third seed Alexander Zverev, and fourth seed Stefanos Tsitsipas; Rafael Nadal, seeking a record-extending 14th title at the event, entered as the fifth seed despite his historical dominance on clay.[28] [29]| Men's Singles Top Seeds |
|---|
| 1. Novak Djokovic (SRB)[28] |
| 2. Daniil Medvedev (RUS)[28] |
| 3. Alexander Zverev (GER)[28] |
| 4. Stefanos Tsitsipas (GRE)[28] |
| 5. Rafael Nadal (ESP)[29] |
| Women's Singles Top Seeds |
|---|
| 1. Iga Świątek (POL) |
| 2. Barbora Krejčíková (CZE) |
| 3. Paula Badosa (ESP) |
| 4. Maria Sakkari (GRE) |
Qualifying tournaments and wild cards
The qualifying tournaments for the men's and women's singles events took place from 16 to 20 May 2022 at Roland Garros, consisting of three rounds with 128 players in each draw competing for 16 spots in the main tournament.[7][34] These events provided opportunities for lower-ranked players to earn direct entry, with matches played on clay courts under similar conditions to the main draw.[10] Wild cards for the main draw singles were primarily awarded to French players, reflecting the tournament's tradition of supporting domestic talent. In men's singles, recipients included Grégoire Barrère (ATP No. 210), Manuel Guinard (ATP No. 158), Corentin Moutet (ATP No. 126), Lucas Pouille (ATP No. 165), Gilles Simon (ATP No. 160), and Jo-Wilfried Tsonga (ATP No. 263).[35] In women's singles, wild cards went to Tessah Andrianjafitrimo (WTA No. 144), Fiona Ferro (WTA No. 139), Elsa Jacquemot (WTA No. 229), Léolia Jeanjean (WTA No. 223), Chloé Paquet (WTA No. 101), and Harmony Tan (WTA No. 115).[35] Additional wild cards were granted for the qualifying draws to encourage emerging French players, with nine awarded in men's qualifying (e.g., Arthur Cazaux, Arthur Fils, Luca Van Assche) and nine in women's qualifying (e.g., Carole Monnet, Selena Janicijevic).[35] These allocations prioritized juniors and mid-tier professionals, such as those from the "Destination Roland-Garros" series, to bolster participation and development on home soil.[35]Professional singles events
Men's singles
Rafael Nadal defeated Casper Ruud 6–3, 6–3, 6–0 in the men's singles final on 5 June 2022 to claim a record-extending 14th French Open title.[36][37] This victory marked Nadal's 22nd career Grand Slam singles title and maintained his undefeated record in French Open finals at 14–0.[36] Seeded fifth, Nadal navigated a demanding draw on clay, where his topspin-heavy game and endurance have historically excelled.[38] The top half of the draw saw second seed Daniil Medvedev withdraw prior to the first round due to a foot injury sustained earlier, while top seed and defending champion Novak Djokovic advanced to the quarterfinals before losing to Nadal 6–2, 4–6, 6–2, 7–6(4).[28][38] Third seed Alexander Zverev reached the semifinals but retired injured against Nadal after twisting his ankle severely while serving at 0–30 in the second set tiebreak, with the score at 7–6(8), 6–6.[39] Eighth seed Ruud, a strong clay-court specialist, earned his first major final by defeating Marin Čilić 3–6, 6–4, 6–2, 6–2 in the semifinals.[40] Other notable results included fourth seed Stefanos Tsitsipas withdrawing before his fourth-round match against Zverev due to abdominal discomfort, and ninth seed Andrey Rublev exiting in the third round to unseeded Kamil Majchrzak.[41] The tournament highlighted Nadal's sustained dominance on the surface despite entering with injury concerns and a 21–6 win-loss record that season prior to Roland Garros.[42]Women's singles
Iga Świątek defeated Coco Gauff 6–1, 6–3 in the women's singles final on 4 June 2022 to claim her second French Open title.[43] [44] Entering as the top seed and world No. 1, Świątek extended her winning streak to 35 matches, tying Venus Williams for the longest streak in the Open Era on a single surface.[44] She did not drop a set during the tournament, showcasing superior baseline play, movement, and consistency on clay.[45] The draw featured significant upsets, particularly in the early rounds, with only Świątek remaining from the top four seeds by the third round. Defending champion Barbora Krejčíková, seeded second, lost in the first round to French wild card Diane Parry 1–6, 6–2, 6–3.[46] Third seed Paula Badosa withdrew due to injury in the third round, while fourth seed Maria Sakkari reached the semifinals before falling to Gauff.[47] Other notable early exits included Naomi Osaka, who lost in the first round to Amanda Anisimova 1–6, 7–5, 6–4.[48] Świątek's path included straight-set victories over Lesia Tsurenko, Alison Riske, Danka Kovinić, Qinwen Zheng, Daria Kasatkina, and Ons Jabeur in the semifinals.[45] Gauff, the 18th seed, advanced by upsetting higher seeds, including Sloane Stephens in the fourth round and Iga Świątek's semifinal opponent Jabeur in the quarters, before facing Świątek in the final.[49] The final lasted 76 minutes, with Świątek converting five of seven break points and committing fewer unforced errors.[50] Top seeds:- Iga Świątek (POL) – Champion
- Barbora Krejčíková (CZE) – 1R
- Paula Badosa (ESP) – 3R (withdrew)
- Maria Sakkari (GRE) – SF
- Coco Gauff (USA) – Runner-up[51]