Does Roland Garros 2016 have the oldest average main draw field in tennis history?

Analyzing the average age of 2016 Australian Open main draw (you can read it HERE) we could see that the number was 27,5 which is pretty much the standard in the recent few years. It’s a common fact that many players over the last few years are achieving their best results after they turn 28, 29 or in many cases 30, which affects the average age of the players in the Top 100 and by that the Grand Slam main draws as well. That tendency is probably here to stay for many years, as only a few youngsters can make an impact and crack the Top 100 group, to soften this dominance of the older players at least in some measure. Roland Garros is no exception to this trend, with an average age of the main draw players reaching the magical number of 28 (28,08 to be precise)! We can say that this is a unique tournament by that fact and that this event has the oldest average field of any Grand Slam in the modern times (Australian Open 1971 was also around this number but with a much smaller draw and 3 players older than 40)! One thing is certain, 2016 Roland Garros contains the biggest number of players with the age of 30 or more, no less than 50 of them which is unmatched by any other Major from the past. In January, there were 39 players of that age group playing at Australian Open, so the increase by 11 is significant and it is the main reason for the overall average of the players being that high. For example, between 1979-1985 there were never more than 22 players in that age group, and it is almost uncomparable with today’s tennis.

In Melbourne, we had 9 players in the age group between 18-20, which was a solid number, and it dropped to just 6 at Roland Garros (just 8 players born in 1995 or later). In addition, players aged between 21 to 24 could also make a difference, but there are 6 less of those comparing Melbourne and Paris. Biggest age group is that with players with 25 to 29 years, and that stays pretty much the same in comparison of these two Slams, but then comes the ultimate difference that made this Roland Garros having such a high average age. In Melbourne, …

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