2017 French Open: 7 unknown facts about the Grand Slam

#2 It was the first Grand Slam to go “Open”

French Open was the first major to go “open”

When it was first established in 1891, the French Open was known as the Championnat de France or the French Championships. Even after the tournament became open to international amateurs, the tournament was still named as the French Championships.

In 1968, the tournament began to be known as the French Open and was the first Grand Slam to go “open” with the US Open going open later in the same year and the Australian Open going Open in 1969.