Did somebody say icon? (3): René Lacoste

The tennis world’s style guru, a genius inventor, famous tennis player and the king of elegance, René Lacoste was never lacking in inspiration or daring, and his reputation is still fabulously intact today.

Constantly brimming with ideas, the "Alligator" played, won, revolutionised, invented and flew the flag for French tennis across the globe. We look back at the story of this unusual champion, whose legacy lives on in the heart of Roland-Garros stadium.

How René Lacoste became René Lacoste.

René Lacoste was a success story in his own right. The mere mention of the name "Lacoste" evokes images of the famous alligator. But how did he earn this nickname?

To answer this question, we need to take a step back in time to 1923, when the champion fell in love with an alligator-skin suitcase that he spotted in a shop window in Boston. His coach set him a challenge: “If you win your match, I’ll buy that suitcase for you.” Legend has it that this was how he earned his famous nickname, "The Alligator", which was first penned by a famous American journalist.

But what does “alligator” mean in the tennis context? Jean Lovera defined it perfectly: “An alligator is a player who gets the ball back every time, stays firmly on the baseline and blocks all attacks. Toeing the line of foul play, the alligator’s strategy really gets on their opponent’s nerves by pushing them to commit errors due to sheer impatience.”

So Lacoste’s attacking and tenacious playing style justifiably earnt him this nickname. The famous green reptile, which was transformed into a logo by designer Robert Georges in 1927, became the emblem of the Lacoste brand and the world’s most recognisable logo.

But René Lacoste would not have been René Lacoste without the other “Mousquetaires” – Jean Borotra, Jacques Brugnon and Henri Cochet – a legendary team of French tennis champions from the late 1920s, who won the Davis Cup in 1927 and 1928.

Thanks to the "Mousquetaires", French tennis was further developed and became better known on the international stage.

Lacoste’s list of singles titles is just as impressive, as he won seven major tournaments and became world number one in 1927. This achievement, this legend is that of a man who followed his dreams and pursued his career wholeheartedly. René Lacoste is still serving as inspiration today, thanks to his vision, his playing style and his philosophy for life.

The importance of looking stylish on court (and revolutionising the fashion world).  

Driven by a lifelong passion for creating and innovating, René Lacoste, a genius with many strings to his bow, was the brains behind a number of inventions. The origin of the grip? It was him! Ball-throwing machine? Him! Metal racquets? Him again. Shock absorber? You guessed it! One of his lesser-known inventions, though just as fantastic, was the travel mah-jong table! 

But beyond these many, clever inventions – he filed around thirty patents in all – which enabled him to develop and improve his game, the Alligator’s real stroke of genius was when he created his famous, timeless and iconic polo shirt!

But beyond these many, clever inventions – he filed around thirty patents in all – which enabled him to develop and improve his game, the Alligator’s real stroke of genius was when he created his famous, timeless and iconic polo shirt!

Way beyond a simple wardrobe item, René Lacoste invented sportswear as a style in itself, one that crossed over into everyday life and is still worn on the courts to this day! Fed up with the strict tennis uniform – comprised of a long-sleeved shirt, cufflinks, pleated trousers and a belted waist – René Lacoste dreamt of wearing less restrictive, more stylish clothes. Defying convention, he had a short-sleeved shirt made up and embroidered with the now-famous alligator logo and called it the L.12.12. Eighty-eight years after this first piqué cotton shirt was created, it is still a must-have item in the tennis wardrobe, without aging a day.

In 1933, René Lacoste retired from tennis and moved into the textile industry by joining forces with André Gillier, inventor of the famous petit piqué fabric: the Lacoste empire was born.

René Lacoste, an immortal icon.

With a stand bearing his name, a statue, and his favourite animal emblazoned on countless caps, shirts and socks, René Lacoste is omnipresent inside Roland-Garros stadium. Last spring, during the 2021 tournament at the Porte d'Auteuil, we were delighted to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the collaboration between the alligator brand and Roland-Garros.

Roland-Garros and Lacoste make a great partnership: sport combined with French expertise and elegance. For the last half-century, this fruitful collaboration has drawn inspiration from tennis heritage and nurtured a shared desire for authenticity.

Four memorable quotes from the famous Alligator:

• “Confidence, tenacity, perseverance, rigour: with weapons like these, everyone can build a life.”
• “It doesn’t really matter what you do, just do it perfectly.”
• “Playing is not enough, you need to master your style.”
• “If you’re on the cusp of winning, remember that there is no opponent who plays better than an opponent who is about to lose.”