 Lacoste wearing his signature insignia, c. 1926 | |
| Country (sports) |  France |
|---|---|
| Born | (1904-07-02)2 July 1904 Paris, France |
| Died | 12 October 1996(1996-10-12) (aged 92) Saint-Jean-de-Luz, France |
| Retired | 1932 |
| Plays | Right-handed (one-handed backhand) |
| Int. Tennis HoF | 1976(member page) |
| Singles | |
| Career record | 262–43 (85.9%)[1] |
| Career titles | 24[1] |
| Highest ranking | No.1 (1926,A. Wallis Myers) |
| Grand Slam singles results | |
| French Open | W (1925,1927,1929) |
| Wimbledon | W (1925,1928) |
| US Open | W (1926,1927) |
| Other tournaments | |
| Olympic Games | QF (1924) |
| Doubles | |
| Grand Slam doubles results | |
| French Open | W (1925, 1929) |
| Wimbledon | W (1925) |
| Grand Slam mixed doubles results | |
| Wimbledon | 2R (1923) |
| US Open | F (1926, 1927) |
| Team competitions | |
| Davis Cup | W (1927,1928) |
Medal record | |
Jean René Lacoste (French pronunciation:[ʁənelakɔst]; 2 July 1904 – 12 October 1996) was aFrenchtennis player and businessman. He was nicknamed "the Crocodile" because of how he dealt with his opponents;[2] he is also known worldwide as the creator of theLacostetennis shirt, which he introduced in 1929, and eventually founded the brand and its logo in 1933.[3]
Lacoste was one ofthe Four Musketeers withJean Borotra,Jacques Brugnon, andHenri Cochet, French players who dominated tennis in the late 1920s and early 1930s. He won sevenGrand Slam singles titles at the French, American, and British championships and was an eminent baseline player and tactician of the pre-war period. As a member of the French team, Lacoste won theDavis Cup in1927 and1928. Lacoste was ranked theWorld No. 1 player in some rankings for 1926, 1927 and 1929.[4] He also won a bronze medal at the1924 Summer Olympics.[5]
Lacoste started playing tennis at age 15 when he accompanied his father on a trip to England.[4][6] His first participation in aGrand Slam tournament was the1922 Wimbledon Championships in which he lost in the first round toPat O'Hara Wood. The following year, 1923, he reached the fourth round at Wimbledon to be narrowly defeated byCecil Campbell, and he competed for the first time in theU.S. Championships.
His breakthrough came in 1925 when he won the singles title at theFrench Championships and atWimbledon, in both cases after a victory in the final against compatriotJean Borotra. The following year, 1926, Lacoste lost his French title after a straight-sets defeat in the final toHenri Cochet. He did not compete at Wimbledon that year, but in September he won theU.S. National Championships title against Borotra. He was ranked No. 1 for 1926 byA. Wallis Myers, tennis correspondent ofThe Daily Telegraph,[7] Bill Tilden,[8]Suzanne Lenglen[9] andStanley Doust (Daily Mail).[10]
In 1927, dubbed "The finest year in tennis history" byE. Digby Baltzell, Lacoste was part of theFrench team that captured theDavis Cup from theUnited States, ending the latter's 6-year title run. The final was played at theGermantown Cricket Club inPhiladelphia and Lacoste won both his singles matches againstBill Johnston andBill Tilden.[11][12] He played Tilden in two Grand Slam tournament finals that year and won both of them. At theFrench Championships he was victorious in five sets; at theU.S. National Championships he defended his title and denied Tilden his seventh U.S. title by winning in straight sets, although he survived setpoints in the first and third set and was down a break in the second.[13] At Wimbledon, Lacoste lost a five-set semifinal to Borotra.[14] He was ranked No. 1 by A. Wallis Myers,[15] Émile Deve,[16] U.S. ranking committee president,[17]Marcel Berger,[16] (L'Opinion [fr]),Jean Samazeuilh[18] (Le Miroir des sports [fr]) andHenri Cochet.[16]
In 1928 Lacoste lost his French title after a four-set loss in the final against Cochet. He took revenge by beating Cochet in the final of theWimbledon Championships after having defeated Tilden in a five-set semifinal. The Challenge Round of the1928 Davis Cup against the United States was played at theStade Roland Garros in Paris on 27–29 July. The stadium was specifically constructed to host France's first defense of the Davis Cup.[19] Lacoste lost the first rubber in a five-set match to Tilden but France won the remaining rubbers to defeat the challengers 4–1 and retain the cup. Lacoste did not participate in the1928 U.S. Championships.
Between 1923 and 1928 Lacoste played 51 Davis Cup matches for France in 26 ties and compiled a record of 32–8 in singles and 8–3 in doubles.
The only major championship Lacoste played in 1929 was theFrench and he won his seventh, and last, Grand Slam singles title after a tight five-set final againstJean Borotra.[20] Failing health, includingrespiratory disease, led to his withdrawal from competitive tennis in 1929. He would make a brief comeback at the1932 French Championships, where he defeated reigning Wimbledon championSidney Wood in the third round, but lost in the fourth toHarry Lee.[21][22] He was the non-playing captain of the FrenchDavis Cup team in 1932 and 1933.
The Four Musketeers were inducted simultaneously into theInternational Tennis Hall of Fame, inNewport, Rhode Island, in 1976. In his 1979 autobiography,Jack Kramer, the long-time tennis promoter and great player himself, included Lacoste in his list of the 21 greatest players of all time.[a]
In 1928 Lacoste wrote a book titledLacoste on Tennis.[6][23]
There are numerous explanations of why Lacoste was originally nicknamed "The Crocodile." A 2006New York Times obituary about Lacoste's son, Bernard, provides an apparently authoritative one. In the 1920s, supposedly, Lacoste made a bet with his team captain about whether he would win a certain match. The stakes were a suitcase he had seen in a Boston store; it was made of alligator skin. Following his victory, the American press dubbed him "The Alligator."[citation needed] Later, René Lacoste's friendRobert George embroidered a crocodile onto a blazer that Lacoste wore for his matches.[24][25]
Lacoste was primarily a baseline player who relied on control, accuracy, and deeply-placed groundstrokes to put pressure on his opponents. In addition he possessed an excellent passing shot and backhand slice. Nicknamed the 'Tennis Machine' for his methodical game and ability to avoid errors, he was known as a devoted and hard-working player, rather than a player with a great amount of natural talent.[20][26] His style was a complete contrast to that of his fellow MusketeerHenri Cochet.[13] Lacoste was a studious tactician who meticulously analysed his opponents and kept detailed notes on their strengths and weaknesses.[4][13]
In 1933, Lacoste foundedLa Société Chemise Lacoste withAndré Gillier. The company produced thetennis shirt, also known as a "polo shirt," which Lacoste often wore when he was playing; this had a crocodile (often thought to be an alligator) embroidered on the chest. In 1963, Lacoste's sonBernard took over the management of the company.
In 1961, Lacoste created an innovation inracket technology by unveiling and patenting the first tubular steel tennis racket.[21] At that time, wood rackets were the norm; the new version's strings were attached to the frame by a series of wires, which wrapped around the racket head. The steel-tube racket was stiffer, and imparted a greater force to the ball during a stroke. It was marketed in Europe under the Lacoste brand, but in the United States it was marketed byWilson Sporting Goods.Pierre Darmon debuted the racket at Wimbledon in 1963, but it achieved critical acclaim and huge popularity as the Wilson T-2000, used by American tennis greatsBillie Jean King andJimmy Connors.[21]
Rene Lacoste was born to Jeanne-Marie Magdeleine Larrieu-Let and Jean-Jules Lacoste.[27] His maternal family is from Monein, in southwest France, the genealogy dating back to the 1700s.[28] He was Jewish.[29]
On 30 June 1930 he married golfing championSimone de la Chaume.[30] Their daughterCatherine Lacoste was a championgolfer and president of the Golf Club Chantaco, founded by her mother, at a few kilometres fromSaint-Jean-de-Luz, France.
| Result | Year | Championship | Surface | Opponent | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Loss | 1924 | Wimbledon | Grass | Jean Borotra | 1–6, 6–3, 1–6, 6–3, 4–6 |
| Win | 1925 | French Championships | Clay | Jean Borotra | 7–5, 6–1, 6–4 |
| Win | 1925 | Wimbledon | Grass | Jean Borotra | 6–3, 6–3, 4–6, 8–6 |
| Loss | 1926 | French Championships | Clay | Henri Cochet | 2–6, 4–6, 3–6 |
| Win | 1926 | U.S. National Championships | Grass | Jean Borotra | 6–4, 6–0, 6–4 |
| Win | 1927 | French Championships | Clay |  Bill Tilden | 6–4, 4–6, 5–7, 6–3, 11–9 |
| Win | 1927 | U.S. National Championships | Grass | Bill Tilden | 11–9, 6–3, 11–9 |
| Loss | 1928 | French Championships | Clay | Henri Cochet | 7–5, 3–6, 1–6, 3–6 |
| Win | 1928 | Wimbledon | Grass | Henri Cochet | 6–1, 4–6, 6–4, 6–2 |
| Win | 1929 | French Championships | Clay | Jean Borotra | 6–3, 2–6, 6–0, 2–6, 8–6 |
| Result | Year | Championship | Surface | Partner | Opponents | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Win | 1925 | French Championships | Clay | Jean Borotra | Jacques BrugnonHenri Cochet | 7–5, 4–6, 6–3, 2–6, 6–3 |
| Win | 1925 | Wimbledon | Grass | Jean Borotra | John HennesseyRaymond Casey | 6–4, 11–9, 4–6, 1–6, 6–3 |
| Loss | 1927 | French Championships | Clay | Jean Borotra | Jacques BrugnonHenri Cochet | 6–2, 2–6, 0–6, 6–1, 4–6 |
| Win | 1929 | French Championships | Clay | Jean Borotra | Jacques BrugnonHenri Cochet | 6–3, 3–6, 6–3, 3–6, 8–6 |
| Result | Year | Championship | Surface | Partner | Opponents | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Loss | 1926 | U.S. National Championships | Grass |  Hazel Hotchkiss Wightman | Elizabeth RyanJean Borotra | 4–6, 5–7 |
| Loss | 1927 | U.S. National Championships | Grass | Hazel Hotchkiss Wightman |  Eileen BennettHenri Cochet | 2–6, 6–0, 3–6 |
| W | F | SF | QF | #R | RR | Q# | DNQ | A | NH |
(OF) only for French club members
| Tournament | 1922 | 1923 | 1924 | 1925 | 1926 | 1927 | 1928 | 1929 | 1930 | 1931 | 1932 | SR | W–L | Win % |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grand Slam tournaments | ||||||||||||||
| Australian Championships | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | 0 / 0 | 0–0 | – |
| French Championships | OF | W | F | W | F | W | A | A | 4R | 3 / 6 | 29–3 | 90.6 | ||
| Wimbledon | 1R | 4R | F | W | A | SF | W | A | A | A | A | 2 / 6 | 28–4 | 87.5 |
| U.S. Championships | A | 2R | QF | QF | W | W | A | A | A | A | A | 2 / 5 | 19–3 | 86.4 |
| Win–loss | 0–1 | 4–2 | 9–2 | 16–1 | 10–1 | 17–1 | 12–1 | 5–0 | 3–1 | 7 / 17 | 76–10 | 88.4 | ||
| National representation | ||||||||||||||
| Olympics | NH | QF | Not held | 0 / 1 | 3–1 | 75.0 | ||||||||
| Tournament | Since | Record accomplished | Players matched |
|---|---|---|---|
| Grand Slam | 1877 | Youngest player to win 2 titles at 3 Grand Slams | Stands alone |
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| Artists | |
| People | |
| Other | |
