Key figures: Rafael Nadal, Li Na, Roger Federer, Francesca Schiavone, Robin Söderling, Novak Djokovic
Summary
The 2011 French Open (Roland Garros) was held at Stade Roland Garros in Paris from May 22 to June 5, 2011, and marked the 110th edition of the tournament and the 81st Grand Slam championship of the Open Era. The tournament produced two moments of lasting significance: Rafael Nadal’s sixth Roland Garros title reinforced his place as the dominant clay-court player in men’s tennis history, while Li Na’s women’s singles victory made her the first player from Asia — male or female — to win a Grand Slam singles title in the Open Era. Combined prize money for the tournament reached €15.1 million.
Men’s Singles
Draw and Competition
Rafael Nadal entered the 2011 French Open as the world number two, having ceded the top ranking to Novak Djokovic earlier in the season after a remarkable Djokovic run in which the Serbian won the Australian Open and 43 consecutive matches. Despite playing in Djokovic’s shadow in the early months of 2011, Nadal was universally expected to be the favorite at Roland Garros — his career clay-court record was historically exceptional.
Djokovic’s extraordinary winning streak ended when he fell to Federer in the semifinals, 7-6, 6-3, 3-6, 7-6. This set up a final between the two greatest clay-court rivals of the era.
Men’s Final: Nadal defeats Federer
Rafael Nadal defeated Roger Federer in the men’s singles final on June 5, 2011, with scores of 7-5, 7-6 (3), 5-7, 6-1 in a match lasting 3 hours and 42 minutes. The victory was Nadal’s sixth French Open title, equaling Björn Borg’s record for the most Roland Garros singles titles in the Open Era (Borg won in 1974–75 and 1978–81). Nadal’s career head-to-head record against Federer at Roland Garros improved to 6-0.
Nadal’s accomplishment was rendered more impressive by the context: the 2011 season had seen Djokovic dominate the early hard-court schedule, raising genuine questions about Nadal’s overall form heading into the clay season. Nadal’s Roland Garros performance served as a reminder that on his preferred surface, his level of play was categorically different from any other active player.
Women’s Singles
Historic Context
Prior to 2011, no player from Asia had ever won a Grand Slam singles title in the Open Era. Asian players had reached finals — Shuzo Matsuoka and others had made deep runs in earlier decades — but the barrier to winning remained intact. Li Na’s entry into the 2011 French Open draw at world number six carried the weight of this historical context, though she had already demonstrated major-tournament potential by reaching the final of the 2011 Australian Open earlier in the year, losing to Kim Clijsters.
Women’s Final: Li Na defeats Schiavone
Li Na defeated defending champion Francesca Schiavone of Italy in the women’s singles final on June 4, 2011, 6-4, 7-6 (0) in one hour and 41 minutes. Schiavone had won the title in 2010 at Roland Garros and entered as the defending champion, but Li Na produced a dominant display of baseline tennis to win in straight sets. Li Na’s backhand, one of the most technically precise in women’s tennis, was particularly effective on the clay surface.
The victory made Li Na, born June 26, 1982, in Wuhan, China, the first Asian Grand Slam singles champion in the Open Era. The match was broadcast in China to approximately 116 million television viewers — a figure that underscored tennis’s growing popularity in a country of 1.4 billion people.
Key Facts
- Dates: May 22 – June 5, 2011
- Venue: Stade Roland Garros, Paris, France
- Surface: Clay (red clay)
- Men’s Singles Champion: Rafael Nadal (Spain), defeated Roger Federer (Switzerland) 7-5, 7-6 (3), 5-7, 6-1
- Women’s Singles Champion: Li Na (China), defeated Francesca Schiavone (Italy) 6-4, 7-6 (0)
- Men’s Doubles Champions: Max Mirnyi (Belarus) / Daniel Nestor (Canada)
- Women’s Doubles Champions: Andrea Hlaváčková / Lucie Hradecká (Czech Republic)
- Total Prize Money: €15.1 million
- Nadal’s Title Count: Sixth French Open title, equaling Björn Borg’s Open Era record
- Li Na’s TV Audience: Approximately 116 million viewers in China
- Tournament Edition: 110th overall, 81st of the Open Era
Broader Tennis Context in 2011
The 2011 French Open was the second of four Grand Slam events in the year. The Australian Open (January) had been won by Novak Djokovic (men) and Kim Clijsters (women). See also: 2011 Australian Open. Following Roland Garros, the season continued with Wimbledon in late June and early July, where Djokovic won his second Grand Slam of the year. See also: 2011 Wimbledon Championships.
Li Na’s French Open win also coincided with a summer of landmark moments for women athletes globally. The FIFA Women’s World Cup was held in Germany that same summer, producing its own historic upset when Japan defeated the United States in the final. See also: 2011 FIFA Women’s World Cup.
Significance
The 2011 French Open held profound significance on multiple levels. Nadal’s performance extended what was already the most dominant single-tournament record in the history of professional tennis — his 80% career win rate at Roland Garros across all match types is unmatched by any player at any Grand Slam event in the Open Era. The final’s quality, though Nadal won convincingly, reinforced the rivalry between him and Federer as one of the most compelling in the sport’s history.
Li Na’s victory was arguably the tournament’s most transformative moment in historical terms. By breaking through as the first Asian Grand Slam champion, she signaled a genuine globalization of professional tennis’s elite tier. The broadcast audience of 116 million Chinese viewers represented a potential commercial and participation inflection point for tennis in China — subsequent years saw significant investment in Chinese tennis infrastructure, and Li Na was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 2019. Her win also inspired a generation of Chinese athletes across sports, contributing to a broader narrative of Asian athletic achievement in global competition.