The French Open remains one of the hardest Majors to win. The grinding rallies have worn out many seasoned veterans in the past. Furthermore, one usually pictures the dominance of Europeans when one thinks of the clay court Major.
However, American women have had the most success on Parisian clay in the Open Era, winning a total of 16 titles between them. Germany follows with six titles, which is nowhere close to the title haul of the Americans.
These 16 titles won by the USA have been split between seven women. On that note, here’s a look at the seven women who have won the French Open in the Open Era:
#1. Nancy Richey
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It marked Richey's second and final Major title. She previously won the Australian Open in 1967, though that was before the start of the Open Era. She reached another Major final at the US Open 1969 but came up short against Margaret Court in the title round.
#2. Billie Jean King
Four years after Nancy Richey's victory at Roland Garros, Billie Jean King became the second woman from the USA to emerge victorious in Paris. She beat Evonne Goolagong 6-3, 6-3 in the final. She completed the career Grand Slam in singles with her victory. She also didn't lose a set throughout the tournament.
While King would add another five Major titles to her tally over the years, she didn't even reach another final on the clay courts in Paris. That was mainly due to her non-participation. Following her win in 1972, she directly competed in 1980 and her final appearance was in 1982.
#3. Chris Evert
Chris Evert advanced to her first French Open final in 1973. She gave Margaret Court a tough fight in the summit clash but blew a one-set lead to lose the match in three tough sets. She bounced back a year later, winning the title with a dominant 6-1, 6-2 win over Olga Morozova.
Evert became the third American woman to win at the venue and became the most successful female player in the history of the tournament. She won a record seven titles in Paris and compiled an impressive 72-6 record at the tournament. She skipped the tournament from 1976-78, or else she might've certainly captured more titles at the clay court Major.
#4. Martina Navratilova
Martina Navratilova became the fourth woman to win the French Open while representing America in the Open Era. She made her first final at the tournament in 1975 but fell to Chris Evert in three sets. She hoisted the winner's trophy for the first time in 1982 and followed it up with another title in 1984.
Navratilova finished as the runner-up in Paris on another three occasions. She lost to Evert in 1985 and 1986, while Steffi Graf beat her in 1987. All three matches went the distance as well. While the losses were hard to swallow, she ultimately went down to the best clay court players of her generation.
#5. Jennifer Capriati
Following Chris Evert's triumph in 1986, no American woman laid her hands on the Coupe Suzanne Lenglen for a long time. The end of the millennium saw European women dominating the clay court Major. It wasn't until 2001 when Jennifer Capriati broke the drought for American women.
Capriati beat Kim Clijsters in the final of the French Open 2001 to capture her second Major title. She became the fifth American woman to clinch the clay Slam in the Open Era.
#6. Serena Williams
Serena Williams won the French Open for the first time in 2002, becoming the sixth woman from her country to do so in the Open Era. She ousted defending champion Jennifer Capriati in the semifinals and beat her sister Venus Williams in the final. It marked the first of four consecutive Major titles for her.
Williams reigned supreme in Paris on another two occasions. She secured her second title in 2013 and her third title in 2015. She was the runner-up in 2016. This remained the only Grand Slam tournament where she didn't mount a successful title defense in her career.
#7. Coco Gauff
Coco Gauff is the latest entrant in this list, becoming the seventh American woman to win the French Open. She beat World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka from a set down in this year's final to claim her second Major title. She had previously finished as the runner-up here in 2022.
Gauff also won the doubles title here last year, becoming one of the few women to have won titles across both disciplines in Paris. After posting consistent results at the clay court Major for the past four years, her efforts finally bore fruit with a title this year.
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