Victory belongs to the most tenacious
“Victory belongs to the most Tenacious” — a phrase that echoes across the clay courts of Paris each spring.
Originally attributed to Napoleon and later adopted by aviation hero Roland Garros, this quote now adorns the stadium walls of the French Open. And it couldn’t be more fitting.
Alternatively "Victory belongs to the most persevering".
French Open (Also often referred to as Roland Garros), is a Grand Slam tennis tournament (Highest level tournament). Winning a Grand Slam tournament truly is an act of perseverance.
Yet as much as I admire this quote and its connection to Roland Garros, it brings up a question that continues to bother me:
Why don’t women compete in best-of-five sets, just like the men?
Part of what makes this quote so fitting—“Victory belongs to the most tenacious”—is the grueling nature of the men’s format. Winning a best-of-five match demands physical endurance, mental toughness, and, yes, perseverance. Shouldn’t that same stage be set for the women?
I can’t see a good reason why it shouldn’t.
In fact, I think something is being lost here—not just for the female athletes, but for the fans too. We’re missing out on longer battles, deeper momentum swings, and the kind of legendary comebacks that only extended formats allow. Imagine how many iconic moments never had the chance to unfold simply because the match ended too soon.
Equality isn’t just about prize money or airtime. It’s also about giving every player the same opportunity to prove their resilience.
Who am I to comment on all this?
Just a web designer from Norway—and a big tennis fan.
In fact, I've even built the web page for Casper Ruud via my small design studio, Vasser. Maybe one day he’ll lift that Roland Garros trophy himself.
Other links:
More about Roland Garros at their official page: https://www.rolandgarros.com/en-us/page/a-trailblazer-for-aviation-and-a-war-hero-roland-garros
For tennis interested people out there, I highly recommend the book Open by Andre Agassi.