Top 10 Male Players with Most Wins in French Open History

The French Open is the second Grand Slam in the tennis calendar and it marks the beginning of the Summer Grand Slam season. Players compete on the clay court surfaces of Roland-Garros, a unique test which requires a specific set of skills, different to the requirements of grass or hard court competitions. Many have mastered Paris’ clay courts over the years and one man has dominated in recent times. Below we take a look at the most tennis successful players at the French Open since the start of the Open Era in 1968.

1. Rafael Nadal – 14 wins 

By far the greatest player in the history of the French Open is 14-time champion Rafael Nadal. His upbringings on the clay courts of Spain meant he quickly became a specialist on the surface, which showed in his dominance at the Grand Slam throughout his career.

Over half of his 22 career Grand Slams came at Roland-Garros, with his first victory in 2005 marking the start of a four-year win streak. He was knocked out in the fourth round in 2009, before going on to win the tournament for the following five years. Two more defeats occurred – his longest spell without winning the French Open – before he returned in 2017 to win the first of another four consecutive titles. His 14th and final victory came in 2022 when he defeated Casper Ruud in straight sets in the final.

2. Björn Borg – 6 wins 

Next on the list, a whopping eight titles behind Nadal, is the legendary Björn Borg. Borg was lucky enough not to have to compete with Nadal in Paris and as such he landed himself six titles. His strike rate was impressive, having picked up his six titles in just eight appearances, winning 49 matches and losing only two. He debuted in 1973 and was knocked out in the fourth round, while his only other defeat came in the 1976 quarter-final. In every other year from 1974 to 1981, Borg reigned supreme at Roland-Garros.

3. Novak Djokovic – 3 wins

Djokovic was not as lucky as Borg as he found himself competing against Nadal for the French Open almost every year. Of his 24 career Grand Slams so far, just three came at the French Open, although that still puts him joint-third on the all-time list.

The Serbian made the most of Nadal’s withdrawal in 2016 to land his first title in Paris, but would have to wait until 2021 to be champion again, defeating Nadal in the semi-finals on his way to victory. Nadal’s absence once again played into Djokovic’s hands in 2023 as he managed a third victory in Paris. Djokovic is one of three currently active players to have won the French Open and you can bet on him to win the 2025 tournament at Probet42. Here you will find exceptional value on the French open, with both great odds and high limits.

4. Mats Wilander – 3 wins

Mats Wilander may not be as much of a household name as his Swedish counterpart Björn Borg, but he is still a three-time French Open champion. Wilander was a frequent competitor in Paris, featuring 12 times between 1982 and 1996. The most impressive of his three titles was his 1982 triumph when he won on his tournament debut, with his other two victories coming in 1985 and 1988.

5.  Ivan Lendl – 3 wins 

Ivan Lendl also has three titles to his name and was in direct competition with Wilander, losing out to the Swede in the 1985 final. Lendl was defending his title that year having won his first in 1984. He avenged that loss the following year as he won the 1986 tournament, before winning his third and final title the next year, beating Wilander in the final.

6. Gustavo Kuerten – 3 wins 

Gustavo Kuerten’s three French Open victories were the only Grand Slam titles of his career, showing how specialist the tournament is. He won his first title in 1997, becoming the first Brazilian to win a Men’s Singles Grand Slam. His other two victories came in 2000 and 2001, which took his Grand Slam record to a highly impressive three wins from three finals.

7. Jan Kodeš – 2 wins 

The earliest multiple champion in the Open Era was Czech player Jan Kodeš. He won the first of his two French Open titles in 1970, before going on to defend his crown the following year.

Kodeš also once made it to the final of the Men’s Doubles at the 1977 French Open but unfortunately lost the match in four sets. That was his only final loss at Roland-Garros, with his two singles victories coming from just two final appearances.

8. Jim Courier – 2 wins

Jim Courier is the only American to have multiple French Open titles to his name, the first of which saw him beat the legendary Andre Agassi in the 1991 final, which was also the first Grand Slam final of Courier’s career. This victory proved to be no fluke, as Courier managed to win the tournament again the following year, this time denying Petr Korda in the final. Courier failed to make it three consecutive titles as he lost out to Sergi Bruguera in the 1993 final.

9. Sergi Bruguera – 2 wins 

Bruguera is the ninth and final player on this list to have won two or more French Open titles in the Open Era. His 1993 victory over Courier was the first Grand Slam final of his career. The second came a year later, where he would defeat fellow Spaniard Alberto Berasategui to make it back-to-back French Open titles. He reached the final again in 1997 but was defeated by the aforementioned Gustavo Kuerten.

10. 17 players – 1 win ​ 

Since the beginning of the Open Era in 1968, 17 different players have been victorious at the French Open on a singular occasion. The first two of these, Ken Rosewall and Rod Laver, had also previously won the Grand Slam before it became an Open event.

The only two currently active players to have a French Open title to their name are 2015 champion Stan Wawrinka and the current title holder Carlos Alcaraz. Alcaraz is one of the best players of the current generation and looks set to make his way up this list as his career progresses.

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