ROLAND-GARROS
20 May - 9 June 2024
Highlights
1925
The French Championships, which have been held since 1891, become international and are set to alternate between the Racing Club de France and the “Faisanderie” venue at the Stade Français club. This year, the latter venue hosts 61 players for the men’s singles and 34 for the women’s singles, with René Lacoste and Suzanne Lenglen emerging as the first winners. Suzanne Lenglen also becomes the first player to win three titles in the same year (singles, doubles and mixed).
1926
At the Racing Club de France’s “Croix-Catelan” venue, Suzanne Lenglen wins the final of the women’s singles in 27 minutes, dropping just one game to Miss Browne, and again scoops the three titles. In the men’s, Henri Cochet win his second title, defeating fellow Frenchman René Lacoste in the final.
1927
René Lacoste brushes aside America’s “Big” Bill Tilden in the final, giving a foretaste of what is to come in the Davis Cup when France grab the title in September of the same year. After winning the Challenge Round, the French Lawn Tennis Federation then decides to build a new tennis stadium. The Stade Français club happily gave up some land at the Porte d’Auteuil Paris city gate, on condition that the new stadium bears the name of one of its members, an aviator called Roland Garros.
1928
A successful agreement between the Racing Club de France, Stade Français and the French Lawn Tennis Federation sees the Roland Garros stadium built in record time. It is then inaugurated with a women’s match between France and Great Britain. The first week of the tournament is given over to doubles, the second to singles. France’s Henri Cochet and USA’s Helen Wills are the first singles winners in the new stadium.
1929
Provisional wooden stands are replaced by reinforced concrete standing areas. The “musketeers” of French tennis are all present in the final of the men’s doubles: René Lacoste – who has already won the singles – and Jean Borotra are too strong for Jacques Brugnon and Henri Cochet. In the singles, René Lacoste defeats Jean Borotra in five sets. Helen Wills wins the women’s singles title for the second year in a row.