Rene Lacoste French tennis player, one of the “four musketeers” (along with Jean Borotra, Henri Cochet and Jean Brugnon) who brought glory to French tennis Date of Birth: 02.07.1904 Country: France

1. Biography of René Lacoste
2. Early Tennis Career
3. Early Life and Rise to Success
4. Creating a Sporting Empire

Biography of René Lacoste

René Lacoste was a French tennis player who, along with Jean Borotra, Henri Cochet, and Jean Brugnon, brought glory to French tennis. He passed away after celebrating his 92nd birthday, leaving behind an empire that knows no boundaries. This empire includes a coat of arms, an army equipped with the most modern weapons, and even a fleet of sailboats. The company's emblem is a green crocodile with an open, sharp-toothed mouth; their weapons are tennis rackets and golf clubs; and their fleet consists of sailboats with the image of the crocodile on board. It goes without saying that Lacoste has millions of subjects in countries such as Japan, China, the United States, India, Morocco, and, of course, France, where his name became legendary long before the empire of sports equipment he created took its current form.

Early Tennis Career

In the mid-1920s, Lacoste was considered one of the strongest tennis players in his country. He was a three-time winner of international open championships. However, it was not just his victories that earned him the title of "champion of all time." Lacoste became a symbol of French tennis, similar to how Pelé is to Brazilian football. He brought back the championship to his homeland in a sport that seemed to be permanently lost. Tennis, as we know, was invented by the French, who were great lovers of refined entertainment. In the Middle Ages, European monarchs spent their time playing this aristocratic game, which became a contrast to the rough and unrefined knight duels. The Gauls' invention was successfully adopted by the Anglo-Saxons, and by the beginning of the century, Americans and the English set the tone in world tennis. Rene Lacoste was the first among the French to win the Davis Cup in 1927, the prestigious American tournament. He won Wimbledon twice, which had become the unofficial but universally recognized world championship in the sport by the beginning of the century.

Early Life and Rise to Success

It all started quite modestly. In 1917, Jean Lacoste, a Parisian industrialist, sent his thirteen-year-old son to complete his education on the shores of Great Britain. In the English college, the boy not only acquired a good accent but also developed a passion for "white sport." It is unknown how Lacoste senior reacted to this news, but he probably did not approve of his son's enthusiasm. Unfortunately, young René had little chance of achieving anything in this field. Thin and pale, he bore little resemblance to a future tennis champion. His first appearance at Wimbledon ended in a crushing defeat as he was soundly beaten by Australian Pat O'Hara in the very first set. However, nature endowed him with an iron will, the ability to concentrate, and immense optimism. Just three years later, in 1925, Lacoste was considered one of the world's strongest players after winning Wimbledon and the French Open. The following year, he won the Davis Cup. Commentators still recall the details of these matches with admiration. René was known for his passionate style of play, turning the sport into an exciting show. The fact that even the proud Englishmen would applaud his appearance on the court speaks volumes about the excitement this spectacle sparked among the spectators. The straightforward Americans expressed their admiration differently - they bestowed upon him the nickname "The Crocodile." Perhaps someone would find it offensive, but not Lacoste. He only chuckled, explaining the origin of the nickname: "The American journalists dubbed me 'The Crocodile' after learning that I made a bet on a crocodile skin suitcase with the captain of our Davis Cup team. I won the match and received both the suitcase and the nickname."

Creating a Sporting Empire

A few years later, Lacoste would retire from professional sports and dedicate the next three decades to building his empire. He initially partnered with André Gillier, the owner of a textile factory, to create a small company that produced shirts for tennis, golf, and sailing. Each shirt was adorned with a hand-embroidered emblem - the green crocodile (the same crocodile that fans are accustomed to seeing on Lacoste's sportswear). French designers were amazed because, at that time, the novelty was the knitted polo shirt itself (which has hardly changed in over half a century), let alone placing a brand logo on the front of it. Thirty years later, after becoming the owner of a network of stores and enterprises in France, Italy, and Spain, Lacoste passed the reins of the company to his eldest son, Bernard. However, he did not retire. Instead, he began to revolutionize tennis. His innovations, which were inspired by his own experience, were highly successful. He remembered that Americans had powerful shots, so he created an anti-vibration sticker for tennis racket strings to reduce the risk of hand injuries. He also struggled with improving his own shot, as he never had a strong serve. Eventually, he developed the first metal racket with a new string fastening system, which brought victory and numerous prizes in Grand Slam tournaments to players such as Jimmy Connors and Billy King. Considering the hours of training that allowed him, a player without outstanding abilities, to enter the elite of world sports, he created and patented a machine that shoots balls to different parts of the court, allowing tennis players to practice their technique alone.

In conclusion, the current masters of the racket owe much to René Lacoste. The French have not forgotten this either. When the national team won the Davis Cup in Malmö in 1996, the winners were traditionally dressed in suits from the Lacoste company. Lacoste's influence has also reached the rest of humanity, including those who cannot distinguish tennis from badminton. Millions of alligators can be found on various merchandise, from cars and sailboats to perfume bottles, and they decorate the displays of over two thousand Lacoste stores worldwide. It is said that when René glanced at one of these displays, he muttered, "Frankly, I would prefer a Gallic rooster..."