What Is 2001 French Open - Women's Singles

Content on WhatAnswers is provided "as is" for informational purposes. While we strive for accuracy, we make no guarantees. Content is AI-assisted and should not be used as professional advice.

Last updated: April 15, 2026

Quick Answer: The 2001 French Open – Women's Singles was won by Jennifer Capriati, who defeated Kim Clijsters in the final 1–6, 6–4, 12–10. This victory marked Capriati’s first French Open title and her second Grand Slam singles title overall.

Key Facts

Jennifer Capriati won the 2001 French Open Women's Singles title on June 9, 2001
She defeated Kim Clijsters in a three-set final: 1–6, 6–4, 12–10
The final set was one of the longest in French Open women's history at the time
Capriati dropped only one set en route to the title, to Serena Williams in the semifinals
This was Capriati’s second Grand Slam singles title, following her 2001 Australian Open win

Overview

The 2001 French Open – Women's Singles tournament was a landmark event in women’s tennis, held at Roland Garros in Paris from May 28 to June 9, 2001. The clay-court Grand Slam saw American Jennifer Capriati claim her first title at Roland Garros, defeating Belgium’s Kim Clijsters in a dramatic final.

The tournament featured several top-ranked players, including Serena and Venus Williams, but it was Capriati who emerged victorious after a grueling fortnight. Her win solidified her comeback from early career struggles and established her as a dominant force in women’s tennis that year.

Jennifer Capriati won the title by defeating Kim Clijsters 1–6, 6–4, 12–10 in the final on June 9, 2001, in a match lasting two hours and 23 minutes.
Capriati became the first American woman to win the French Open since Chanda Rubin in 1996, breaking a five-year drought for U.S. women on clay.
The final set score of 12–10 was the longest deciding set in a women’s French Open final since 1992, highlighting the match’s intensity and endurance.
Capriati entered the tournament seeded second, behind Kim Clijsters, who was the top seed and had won the previous month’s Italian Open.
She dropped only one set during the tournament—against Serena Williams in the semifinals—before recovering to win 4–6, 6–2, 6–4.

How It Works

The French Open is one of the four Grand Slam tennis tournaments and is played annually on outdoor red clay courts at Roland Garros in Paris. The Women’s Singles competition features a 128-player draw with seven rounds leading to a champion.

Format: The tournament uses a single-elimination format with best-of-three sets. Matches are played to the best of three sets, with a 12-game advantage in the final set if required.
Surface: The red clay surface slows ball speed and increases bounce, favoring baseline players with strong endurance and heavy topspin, such as clay specialists.
Seeding: The top 32 players are seeded based on WTA rankings to prevent early matchups between top contenders, ensuring a balanced draw structure.
Qualifying: 128 players enter, with 16 spots determined through a qualifying tournament held the week before the main draw begins.
Prize Money: In 2001, the women’s singles champion earned €800,000, part of a total purse of €7.5 million shared across all events.
Duration: The tournament lasts two weeks, starting with early rounds in late May and culminating in finals during the first weekend of June.

Comparison at a Glance

Here’s how the 2001 French Open Women’s Singles compared to other recent editions in terms of results, players, and records:

Year	Champion	Runner-up	Final Score	Duration (min)
2001	Jennifer Capriati	Kim Clijsters	1–6, 6–4, 12–10	143
2000	Mary Pierce	Conchita Martínez	6–2, 7–5	89
1999	Steffi Graf	Mary Pierce	4–6, 7–5, 6–2	121
1998	Arantxa Sánchez Vicario	Monica Seles	7–6(4), 6–0	95
1997	Iva Majoli	Martina Hingis	6–4, 6–2	78

The 2001 final stood out for its dramatic third set and mental resilience shown by Capriati after losing the first set 1–6. The match duration and scoreline reflect the physical and psychological demands of clay-court tennis, especially at the Grand Slam level.

Why It Matters

The 2001 French Open Women’s Singles tournament had lasting implications for the careers of several players and the trajectory of women’s tennis in the early 2000s. Capriati’s victory was more than just a title—it symbolized a full-circle redemption after her teenage struggles and media scrutiny.

Capriati’s win made her the first woman since Steffi Graf in 1995 to win both the Australian and French Opens in the same calendar year.
Her performance elevated her to World No. 1 in women’s singles rankings later that year, a position she held for 17 weeks.
The tournament highlighted the rise of young European talent, with Kim Clijsters and Justine Henin emerging as future stars.
It underscored the competitive depth in women’s tennis, with Serena Williams and Venus Williams both reaching the semifinals.
The match also demonstrated the mental toughness required on clay, where long rallies and endurance often decide outcomes over pure power.
Capriati’s success inspired a generation of American players and helped boost U.S. interest in clay-court Grand Slam events.

The 2001 French Open remains a pivotal moment in tennis history, marking the arrival of a resilient champion and a shift in the sport’s generational landscape.