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| The Clay at Roland Garros The French Open is the only Grand Slam event to be played on clay. The bounce of the ball on clay is low and slow compared to surfaces like grass and Hard Tru, thus favoring a more technical game. Many top players with power games, such as Pete Sampras, have been stymied at the French Open. |
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The photo at left shows a cross section of the clay court. Below the clay surface is a 5 cm thick layer of limestone, followed by a layer of iron ore slag (the remnants of iron extraction). Small stones and gravel below this allow the surface to remain stable and drain excess water. Underneath is natural ground treated so as to remain flat. The court construction was designed by Charles Bouhana, who was originally hired to maintain the lawn at Roland Garros. Covering the clay surface is a thin (2 mm) layer of red brick dust. It is placed there for aesthetic reasons and for the players' comfort: it enables them to see the ball more easily and to slide on the ground when running for the ball. The natural color of the brick is gray, but it is colored red to create more contrast with the yellow ball. Making enough dust for the courts at Roland Garros is no mean feat: 800kg (1760lbs) of dust are used for each court every year! |
| Tennis Glossary | About
Clay |
