Top five countries with most French Open titles

Spain has been the most successful country at the French Open in the Open Era.

One of the most important tournaments on the calendar, the French Open is played in the summer, and fans from all over the world travel to Paris to watch the sporting action. Rafael Nadal has won 14 titles on the Parisian clay. However, which country has won the most Roland Garros titles in the Open Era?

If we consider the total history, France would top the list with 38 titles, out of which 37 were achieved during the Amateur Era. Only Yannick Noah has won a title on home soil, in 1983. Since then, France’s dominance at the clay Grand Slams has diminished, and other countries have gained a stronger foothold.

In this article, we will take a look at the top five countries with the most French Open titles.

5. Serbia: 3

Novak Djokovic has been the greatest Serbian tennis star in history. He won his first French Open title in 2016 after beating Andy Murray in the final. Nadal had to withdraw from the tournament due to a wrist injury. His second title came in 2021, where he stunned Rafael Nadal in the semi-finals before recording a comeback win over Stefanos Tsitsipas in the summit clash.

The Serbian tennis star looks set to win her title in the French capital in 2023. Nadal missed the tournament due to his hip injury.

4. Brazil: 3

The Brazilian has only won the Roland Garros title three times, and all of them have come in the Open Era. Interestingly, much like Serbia’s Novak Djokovic, Gustavo Kuerten has been the South American nation’s driving force.

While Kuerten failed to reach the top four at any other Grand Slam, he aced the Parisian clay three times. His first triumph came in 1997, when he defeated two-time champion Sergi Bruguera in straight sets. He won the French Open twice more in 2000 and 2001.

3. United States: 4

Michael Chang was the first American to win the French Open title in the Open Era. He created history by defeating Sweden’s Stefan Edberg in the 1989 French Open final. After one year, Jim Courier became the first and only American tennis star to defend his title at Stade Roland Garros (1991 and 1992).

Meanwhile, Andre Agassi finished as a runner-up for consecutive editions, in 1990 and 1991. The last American to win the French Open title was former Olympic gold medallist Andre Agassi. He recorded the win after beating Ukraine’s Andrei Medvedev in the 1990 French Open final.

2. Sweden: 9

After Rafael Nadal, the second most successful player at Roland Garros is Bjorn Borg. With six individual titles on the red dirt, the Swede was a formidable force on the low-bounce surface. Borg won his two initial titles at Roland Garros in 1974 and 1975. After failing to take home the prize for two years, the former Swedish tennis star returned in 1977 and went on to win four consecutive titles.

The Swedish legacy of winning the French Open was continued by Mats Wilander in 1982 after six-time champion Bjorn Borg chose not to participate due to his controversy with the tennis council. Wilander won two more titles at Stade Roland Garros in 1985 and 1988.

1. Spain: 21

Spanish tennis players have won 21 French Open titles in the Open Era. Andrés Gimeno was the first Spaniard to win the coveted title. He defeated Frenchman Patrick Proisy in the 1972 Roland Garros final. After two decades, Sergi Bruguera won two consecutive titles at the Parisian clay in 1993 and 1994, beating Jim Courier and countryman Alberto Berasategui in the summit clash, respectively.

Later, Carlos Moya in 1998, Albert Costa in 2001, and Juan Carlos Ferrero in 2002 won one title each for the Southwest European nation.

Nevertheless, the King of Clay, Rafael Nadal, stepped on the Parisian clay in 2005 and made it his battleground. With 14 titles between 2005 and 2022, Nadal made new records at every edition of the clay Grand Slam. The torch of Spanish dominance on Parisian clay has been carried forward by Carlos Alcaraz, who won the title in 2024.

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