Jean Borotra, the "Bounding Basque", in 1931
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Full name | Jean Laurent Robert Borotra |
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Country | France |
Born | Biarritz, France |
13 August 1898
Died | 17 July 1994 Arbonne, France |
(aged 95)
Height | 1.86 m (6 ft 1 in) |
Turned pro | 1920 (amateur tour) |
Retired | 1956 |
Plays | Right-handed (one-handed backhand) |
Int. Tennis HOF | 1976 (member page) |
Singles | |
Career record | 0–0 |
Highest ranking | No. 2 (1926, A. Wallis Myers)[1] |
Grand Slam Singles results | |
Australian Open | W (1928) |
French Open | W (1931) |
Wimbledon | W (1924, 1926) |
US Open | F (1926) |
Other tournaments | |
WHCC | SF (1922) |
WCCC | F (1922) |
Olympic Games | SF – 4th (1924) |
Doubles | |
Career record | 0–1 |
Highest ranking | No. 1 (1925) |
Grand Slam Doubles results | |
Australian Open | W (1928) |
French Open | W (1925, 1928, 1929, 1934, 1936) |
Wimbledon | W (1925, 1932, 1933) |
Other Doubles tournaments | |
Olympic Games | Bronze Medal (1924) |
Mixed Doubles | |
Grand Slam Mixed Doubles results | |
Australian Open | W (1928) |
French Open | W (1927, 1934) |
Wimbledon | W (1925) |
US Open | W (1926) |
Team competitions | |
Davis Cup | W (1927, 1928, 1929, 1930, 1931, 1932) |
Olympic medal record | ||
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Men's Tennis | ||
Bronze | 1924 Paris | Doubles |
Jean Robert Borotra (French pronunciation: [ʒɑ̃ ʁɔbɛʁ bɔ.ʁotʁa], Basque pronunciation: [borotɾa]; 13 August 1898 – 17 July 1994) was a French tennis champion. He was one of the famous "Four Musketeers" from his country who dominated tennis in the late 1920s and early 1930s.
Contents
Career
Borotra was born in Domaine du Pouy, Biarritz, Aquitaine and married an English woman.
Known as "the Bounding Basque", he won four Grand Slam singles titles in the French, Australian, and All England championships. The 1924 French Championship does not count towards his grand slam total as the French was only open to French nationals, not internationals. He, only failing to win only in the American championships, as he was defeated in the final by his countryman René Lacoste 6–4, 6–0, 6–4, thus missing a career Grand Slam. His 1924 Wimbledon victory made him the first player from outside the English-speaking world to win the tournament. His first appearance was in the French Davis Cup team of 1921. He also made the final of the World Covered Court Championship in 1922, losing to Henri Cochet. He also won the doubles and mixed doubles at that event. The other major he did well in was the World Hard Court Championship (played on clay) - he won the doubles with Henri Cochet there in 1922.
Borotra was ranked as high as World No. 2 by A. Wallis Myers of The Daily Telegraph in 1926.[1]
A member of François de la Rocque's Parti social français (PSF), he became 1st General Commissioner to Sports from August 1940 to April 1942 during Vichy France, leading the Révolution nationale 's efforts in sports policy.
Arrested by the Gestapo in November 1942, Borotra was deported to a concentration camp in Germany and then Itter Castle in North Tyrol until May 1945. He was freed from the castle after the Battle for Castle Itter, which he played a key role in by running to a nearby town to summon reinforcements.[2]
The Four Musketeers were inducted simultaneously into the International Tennis Hall of Fame in Newport, Rhode Island in 1976. In 1984, Borotra received a Distinguished Service award from the United States Sports Academy in recognition of his achievements.
On 17 July 1994, Jean Borotra, founder and president of honour of the CIFP (International Committee for Fair Play) died at the age of 95, after a short illness. He was buried at Arbonne.
The International Fair Play Committee, which recognises achievements annually, awards a Jean Borotra World Fair Play Trophy.
Important championships
- Australian Championships
- Singles champion: 1928
- Men's Doubles champion: 1928
- Mixed Doubles champion: 1928
- French Championships
- Singles champion: 1924,[a] 1931
- Singles runner-up: 1925, 1929
- Men's Doubles champion: 1925, 1928, 1929, 1934, 1936
- Men's Doubles finalist: 1927
- Mixed Doubles champion: 1927, 1934
- Mixed Doubles finalist: 1926
- Wimbledon
- Singles champion: 1924, 1926
- Singles finalist: 1925, 1927, 1929
- Men's Doubles champion: 1925, 1932, 1933
- Mixed Doubles champion: 1925
- U.S. Championship
- Singles finalist: 1926
- Mixed Doubles champion: 1926
Grand Slam finals
Singles
Titles
Year | Tournament | Opponents in the final | Score |
1924 | Wimbledon | René Lacoste | 6–1, 3–6, 6–1, 3–6, 6–4 |
1926 | Wimbledon | Howard Kinsey | 8–6, 6–1, 6–3 |
1928 | Australian Championships | Jack Cummings | 6–4, 6–1, 4–6, 5–7, 6–3 |
1931 | French Championships | Christian Boussus | 2–6, 6–4, 7–5, 6–4 |
Finals
Year | Tournament | Opponents in the final | Score |
1925 | French Championships | René Lacoste | 5–7, 1–6, 4–6 |
1925 | Wimbledon | René Lacoste | 3–6, 3–6, 6–4, 6–8 |
1926 | US National Championships | René Lacoste | 4–6, 0–6, 4–6 |
1927 | Wimbledon | Henri Cochet | 6–4, 6–4, 3–6, 4–6, 5–7 |
1929 | Australian Championships | René Lacoste | 3–6, 6–2, 0–6, 6–2, 6–8 |
1929 | Wimbledon | Henri Cochet | 4–6, 3–6, 4–6 |
Doubles
Titles
Year | Tournament | Partner | Opponents in the final | Score |
1925 | French Championships | René Lacoste | Henri Cochet Jacques Brugnon |
7–5, 4–6, 6–3, 2–6, 6–3 |
1925 | Wimbledon | René Lacoste | John Hennesey Raymond Casey |
6–4, 11–9, 4–6, 1–6, 6–3 |
1928 | Australian Championships | Jacques Brugnon | Gar Moon Jim Willard |
6–2, 4–6, 6–4, 6–4 |
1928 | French Championships | Jacques Brugnon | Henri Cochet Ren De Buzelet |
6–4, 3–6, 6–2, 3–6, 6–4 |
1929 | French Championships | René Lacoste | Henri Cochet Jacques Brugnon |
6–3, 3–6, 6–3, 3–6, 8–6 |
1932 | Wimbledon | Jacques Brugnon | Pat Hughes Fred Perry |
6–0, 4–6, 3–6, 7–5, 7–5 |
1933 | Wimbledon | Jacques Brugnon | Ryosuki Nunoi Jiro Satoh |
4–6, 6–3, 6–3, 7–5 |
1934 | French Championships | Jacques Brugnon | Jack Crawford Vivian McGrath |
11–9, 6–3, 2–6, 4–6, 9–7 |
1936 | French Championships | Marcel Bernard | Pat Hughes Charles Tuckey |
6–2, 3–6, 9–7, 6–1 |
Finals
Year | Tournament | Partner | Opponents in the final | Score |
1927 | French Championships | René Lacoste | Henri Cochet Jacques Brugnon |
6–2, 2–6, 0–6, 6–1, 4–6 |
1934 | Wimbledon | Jacques Brugnon | George Lott Lester Stoefen |
2–6, 3–6, 4–6 |
1939 | French Championships | Jacques Brugnon | Don McNeill Charles Harris |
6–4, 4–6, 0–6, 6–2, 8–10 |
Mixed doubles
Titles
Year | Tournament | Partner | Opponents in the final | Score |
1925 | Wimbledon | Suzanne Lenglen | Elizabeth Ryan Uberto de Morpurgo |
6–3, 6–3 |
1926 | US National Championships | Elizabeth Ryan | Hazel Hotchkiss René Lacoste |
6–4, 7–5 |
1927 | French Championships | Marguerite Broquedis | Lilí Álvarez Bill Tilden |
6–4, 2–6, 6–2 |
1928 | Australian Championships | Daphne Akhurst | Esna Boyd Jack Hawkes |
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1934 | French Championships | Colette Rosambert | Elizabeth Ryan Adrian Quist |
6–2, 6–4 |
Notes
- ^ the French Championships was a non-international event in 1924 and didn't become a major until 1925 when the tournament opened up its doors to players who weren't members of French tennis clubs.
References
- ^ a b United States Lawn Tennis Association (1972). Official Encyclopedia of Tennis (First Edition), p. 424.
- ^ Mayer, John G. (26 May 1945). "12th Men Free French Big-Wigs". Hellcat News (12th Armored Division).
External links
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