1974 French Open

The 1974 French Open was a tennis tournament that took place on the outdoor clay courts at the Stade Roland Garros in Paris, France. The tournament ran from 3 June until 16 June. It was the 78th staging of the French Open, and the second Grand Slam tennis event of 1974.[4][5]

1974 French Open
Date	3–16 June
Edition	78th
Category	Grand Slam (ITF)
Draw	132S / 64D / 32X
Surface	Clay / outdoor
Location	Paris (XVI^e), France
Venue	Stade Roland Garros
Champions
Men's Singles
Björn Borg [1]
Women's Singles
Chris Evert [2]
Men's Doubles
Dick Crealy / Onny Parun [3]
Women's Doubles
Chris Evert / Olga Morozova [2]
Mixed Doubles
Martina Navratilova / Iván Molina [2]

Connors and Goolagong

World no. 2 Jimmy Connors and Evonne Goolagong were banned from playing in the 1974 French Open by Philippe Chatrier, president of the French Tennis Federation (FTF), because both had signed contracts to play in the World Team Tennis league in the United States.[lower-alpha 1][6] The schedule of the inaugural edition of the World Team Tennis conflicted with the dates of several European spring tournaments including the Italian and French Open. Both players had won the singles title at the 1974 Australian Open and were thus denied the opportunity to play for the Grand Slam that year.[lower-alpha 2] Connors and Goolagong filed a suit at a French court seeking the right to participate but this was rejected on the grounds that there was no need for emergency action.[7] In September 1974 they sued the FTF seeking $200,000 in damages each as compensation for the ban.[8][9] This wouldn't be until the 2017 French Open that both of the defending champions of that year's Australian Open also absent from the competition.

Finals

Men's singles

Björn Borg[lower-alpha 3] defeated Manuel Orantes, 2–6, 6–7^(4–7), 6–0, 6–1, 6–1 [1]

• It was Borg's 1st career Grand Slam title.

Women's singles

Chris Evert defeated Olga Morozova,[lower-alpha 4] 6–1, 6–2 [2]

• It was Evert's 1st career Grand Slam title.

Men's doubles

Dick Crealy / Onny Parun defeated Bob Lutz / Stanley Smith, 6–3, 6–2, 3–6, 5–7, 6–1 [3]

Women's doubles

Chris Evert / Olga Morozova defeated Gail Sherriff Chanfreau / Katja Burgemeister Ebbinghaus, 6–4, 2–6, 6–1 [2]

Mixed doubles

Martina Navratilova / Iván Molina defeated Rosie Reyes Darmon / Marcello Lara, 6–3, 6–3 [2]

Prize money

Event		W	F	SF	QF	4R	3R	2R	1R
Singles [10]	Men	FF120,000	FF60,000	FF30,000	FF15,000	FF7,000	FF4,000	FF2,000	FF1,000
	Women	FF40,000	FF20,000	FF10,000	FF5,000	-	FF4,000	FF1,500	FF1,000

Total prize money for the event was FF407,000.

Notes

1. Connors signed to play for the Baltimore Banners and Goolagong played for the Pittsburgh Triangles.
2. Connors would indeed go on to win the 1974 Wimbledon Championships and 1974 U.S. Open.
3. Borg became the first Swedish tennis player (male or female) to win a Grand Slam singles title in the open era. In 1957 Sven Davidsson won Sweden's first Grand Slam singles title at French Open.
4. Morozova was the first player (male or female) from the Soviet Union to reach a Grand Slam final in the Open Era.

References

1. "ATP – 1974 Roland Garros Men's Singles Draw". ATP.
2. "WTA Tournament Archive – 1974 Roland Garros" (PDF). WTA.
3. "ATP – 1974 Roland Garros Men's Doubles Draw". ATP.
4. Collins, Bud (2010). The Bud Collins History of Tennis (2nd ed.). [New York]: New Chapter Press. pp. 389, 396, 400, 402–3. ISBN 978-0942257700.
5. Gilles Delamarre (1991). Roland Garros : Le Livre du Tournoi du Centenaire. Paris: Fédération Française de Tennis. pp. 240–245. ISBN 2906450510.
6. "Connors, Goolagong 'Can't Play'". The Palm Beach Post. May 22, 1974.
7. "Connors–Goolagomg Law Suit Thrown Out By French Judge". Sarasota Herald-Tribune. Jun 1, 1974.
8. "Connors, Miss Goolagong File Suit". The New York Times. Sep 5, 1974.
9. "Connors, Goolagong File Suit". Herald-Journal. May 31, 1974.
10. John Barrett, ed. (1975). World of Tennis '75. London: Queen Anne Press. p. 35. ISBN 978-0362002171.

External links

• French Open official website