The Hardest Month in Tennis: Winning the Channel Slam

The Hardest Month In Tennis: WINNING THE CHANNEL SLAM A closer look into the two Grand Slams that are weeks apart and on completely different surfaces. First the French Open, on the red, slow terre battue and then, on the fast grass at Wimbledon. Only 10 players in the Open era have won the Channel Slam. FRENCH OPEN WIMBLEDON also known as Roland oldest tennis tournament in the world founded founded Garros 1928 1877 LOCATION PARIS FRANCE LONDON ENGLAND Church Rd. Wimbledon, London, SW19 5AE 2 Avenue Gordon Bennett, 75016 SURFACE MATERIAL TERRE BATTUE 100% RYE GRASS Red crush brick 8mm high blades and particles PLAYING STYLE Terre battue allows Grass allows the ball the ball to move slower and bounce higher, making points longer. to bounce lower and skid off the court, making points quicker. PRIZE MONEY FOR 2014 SINGLES CHAMPIONS €15.38% increase £10% increase from 2013 from 2013 € 9.21 MILLION £1.76 MILLION men's trophy women's trophy (singles) men's trophy women's trophy (singles) (singles) (singles) FOOD COMSUMPTION 9.5 TONS FRENCH FRIES 28,000 KG "STRAWBERRIES AND CREAM (During the 2011 French Open) (on average, during the two week tournament) LONGEST MATCH 6 33 11 5 HOURS MIN. HOURS MIN. 2 DAY DURATION 3 DAY DURATION 2004 2010 Fabrice Santoro John Isner FRANCE USA DEF. DEF. Arnaud Clement Nicolas Mahut FRANCE FRANCE Longest match in Open era SHORTEST MATCH o 32 o 23 MIN. MIN. 1988 1922 Steffi Suzanne Graf Lenglen FRANCE DEF. GERMANY DEF. Natasha Zvereva Molla Mallory BELARUS USA MAIN COURTS PHILIPPE CHATRIER 15.059 SEATS CENTRE COURT 15.000 SEATS Record attendance (2012): Record attendance (2009): 430,093 SPECTATORS 511,043 SPECTATORS MOST TITLES Pete Sampras USA O Rafael Nadal Spain I Roger Federer Switzerland male male Martina Chris Evert Navratilova USA USA female female CHANNEL SLAM WINNERS During the Open era (1968-present) ROD LAVER Won all 1969 four Grand Slams in AUSTRAILIA 1970 1970 MARGARET COURT AUSTRAILIA BILLIE JEAN KING 1972 USA CHRIS EVERT 1974 Only man to win the USA Channel 1978, 1979, 1980 Slam three times BJORN BORG SWEDEN 1982, 1984 MARTINA NAVRATILOVA Holds the record for the most Channel USA/CZECH REPUBLIC Slams 1988, 1993, 1995, 1996 STEFFI GRAF GERMANY 2002 SERENA WILLIAMS USA (Active player) 2008, 2010 RAFAEL NADAL SPAIN (Active player) 2009 ROGER FEDERER SWITZERLAND (Active player) Time Warner Cable french open french open french open french open french open french open french o french open french o