Who is Roland Garros?

Roland Garros is not the name of a tennis champion but of a surprising figure whose aviation achievements made history.

Indeed, the French Open tennis stadium is named after the illustrious airman Roland Garros, honouring him since 1928. A war hero, he first came to prominence in 1911. Two years after his first flight, he set his first record with 3,950 metres of altitude. In 1912, he set a new record at 4,960 metres. Later that year, he achieved his final record at 5,610 metres. In 1913, he crossed the Mediterranean, which at the time was a remarkable feat.

It was in 1914 that the First World War broke out and Roland Garros enlisted in the conflict. But more than serving as a pilot in the French army, he designed the first machine gun capable of firing through the path of each propeller blade of an aircraft.

The first single-seat fighters equipped with a firing device were born. One year after the start of the conflict, Roland Garros won three fights before his aircraft was shot down and he was captured by the enemy.

It was three years later that he escaped and returned to fight for France. But after this period of imprisonment, his health had declined and it was a weakened pilot who now headed towards the enemy. Despite his bravery, the French pilot would not survive this final confrontation and disappeared in an aerial combat over the Ardennes in 1918.

In 1928, the French Open tennis stadium was given the name of the deceased pilot to pay eternal tribute to his daring and courage. It was Emile Lesueur, president of Stade Français and former school companion of Garros, who chose this name to represent one of the most sought-after tournaments in professional and amateur tennis.