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A Map of France With The French Flag Overlayed

The Most Famous (Male & Female)
French Tennis Players

Jon Crim Author

By Jon Crim
TennisCompanion

Although French tennis players no longer dominate the game as they did in the 1920s, France still produces world-class players and is home to Roland Garros, one of four Grand Slam tournaments.

This guide pays tribute to France’s most famous male and female tennis players. It showcases their many accomplishments, including Grand Slam champs, former No. 1s, and the best active players currently competing on the ATP and WTA.

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Active Players

Although no active French professional tennis players have won a Grand Slam or achieved a No. 1 ranking, a handful of them has hugely influenced the game over the past few years.

Male

Seventeen Frenchmen actively rank in the ATP Tour’s top 200. Here are some essential stats to help you get familiar with them.

Player Birthday Highest Rank Titles
Gaël Monfils September 1, 1986 6 11
Richard Gasquet June 18, 1986 7 15
Lucas Pouille February 23, 1994 10 5
Benoît Paire May 8, 1989 18 3
Adrian Mannarino June 29, 1988 22 1
Ugo Humbert June 6, 1998 25 3
Arthur Fils June 12, 2004 30 1
Pierre-Hugues Herbert March 18, 1991 36 0
Arthur Rinderknech July 23, 1995 48 0
Gregoire Barrere February 16, 1994 49 0
Benjamin Bonzi June 9, 1996 59 0
Hugo Gaston September 26, 2000 63 0
Luca Van Assche May 11, 2004 63 0
Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard July 8, 2003 66 1
Corentin Moutet April 19, 1999 67 0
Alexandre Muller February 1, 1997 71 0
Arthur Cazaux August 23, 2002 74 0
Quentin Halys October 26, 1996 102 0
Harold Mayot February 4, 2002 112 0
Terence Atmane January 9, 2002 120 0
Titouan Droguet June 15, 2001 132 0
Constant Lestienne May 23, 1992 142 0
Hugo Grenier March 23, 1996 149 0
Enzo Couacaud March 1, 1995 155 0
Manuel Guinard November 15, 1995 156 0
Ugo Blanchet January 5, 1999 158 0
Matteo Martineau January 1, 1999 175 0

Gael Monfils, Richard Gasquet, and Lucas Pouille are the three most successful active men from France.

Each has won over five titles and achieved a top-ten ranking, so they’re easily the most famous and recognizable names.

Female

Twelve women actively rank in the WTA Tour’s top 200. I’ve included a handful of helpful stats to get to know them.

Player Birthday Highest Rank Titles
Caroline Garcia October 16, 1993 4 7
Kristina Mladenovic May 14, 1993 10 1
Alizé Cornet January 22, 1990 11 6
Fiona Ferro March 12, 1997 39 2
Varvara Gracheva August 2, 2000 39 0
Oceane Dodin October 24, 1996 46 1
Clara Burel March 24, 2001 74 0
Harmony Tan September 11, 1997 90 0
Diane Parry September 1, 2002 98 0
Leolia Jeanjean August 14, 1995 102 0
Chloe Paquet July 1, 1994 104 0
Jessika Ponchet September 26, 1996 130 0
Elsa Jacquemot May 3, 2003 149 0
Tessah Andrianjafitrimo October 11, 1998 151 0
Louis Boisson May 16, 2003 152 0
Amandine Hesse January 16, 1993 154 0
Carole Monnet December 1, 2001 162 0

Caroline Carcia, Kristina Mladenovic, and Alize Cornet have each achieved significant success during their careers.

Despite only winning one title, Kristina Mladenovic managed to gain a top 10 ranking due to her consistent performance on tour.

Men

There are plenty of active French players on the men’s side of the game, but some of the country’s most successful and famous players are now retired.

During the 1920s, one group of men nicknamed The Four Musketeers had a significant and lasting impact on the game. They included doubles specialist Jean Borotra and singles players Jacques Brugnon, Henri Cochet, and René Lacoste.

Beyond their success, the four also helped lead the French Davis Cup team to victory over the United States in 1927, resulting in the country building out a new venue in Paris, now the location of Roland Garros a.k.a, the French Open.

Keep reading to learn about 11 influential men that are well worth knowing as a tennis fan.

René Lacoste

Although he’s not the most successful ever, his legacy extends far beyond the court as a businessman whose name is the best known of any on this list.

He is responsible for the start of the iconic fashion brand with the crocodile logo and created the first patented steel tennis racquet with tubes instead of solid metal. This frame became known as the T-2000, famously used by Jimmy Connors and Bill Jean King during their careers.

Of course, René wasn’t a slouch on the court, and he’s undoubtedly one of the best to come out of France. Having reached world No. 1, he won seven singles and three doubles Grand Slam titles.

At the 1924 Olympic Games in Paris, he claimed a Bronze medal in doubles with Jean Borotra, and as one member of the Four Musketeers, he helped France win the 1927 and 1928 Davis Cup.

Birthday July 2, 1904
Retired 1932
Highest Rank 1
Career Titles 24 singles
Grand Slam Titles 7 singles / 3 doubles
Olympic Medals Bronze doubles

Henri Cochet

By far the most successful male tennis player to come out of France, Henri Cochet’s resume speaks for itself.

During his career, he reached world No. 1, earned seven singles, five doubles, and three mixed doubles Grand Slam titles, and helped France win the Davis Cup for six years straight from 1927 to 1932. He also earned a silver medal in singles and doubles with René Lacoste at Paris’ 1924 Olympic Games.

In 1933, Henri moved from amateur to professional, so it’s likely he would have achieved more success at Grand Slam tournaments which the pros weren’t allowed to play until 1968, well after he retired.

Birthday December 14, 1901
Retired 1958
Highest Rank 1
Career Titles 90 singles
Grand Slam Titles 7 singles / 5 doubles
Olympic Medals Silver singles and doubles

Jean Borotra

Another member of the Four Musketeers, Jean, only reached world No. 2, but his success on the court goes down as one of the best.

He achieved plenty of success in singles with four Grand Slam titles, but he was also a highly accomplished doubles player with nine additional Grand Slam titles and five in mixed-doubles.

Jean’s legacy lives on with the Jean Borotra Sportsmanship Award, given annually since 1998 at the Wimbledon Championships in London.

Birthday August 13, 1898
Retired 1956
Highest Rank 2
Career Titles 69 singles
Grand Slam Titles 4 singles / 9 doubles
Olympic Medals Bronze doubles

Max Decugis

Up until 2014, Max Decugis held more titles at the French Championships, now known as the French Open, than any other player, with eight. Rafael Nadal surpassed this record and currently has 13 wins.

However, it’s worth noting that the tournament was only open to French club members up until 1925, so logically the record books don’t consider Max’s wins Grand Slam titles.

Beyond his 41 titles throughout his career, Max also achieves more success at the Olympics than any French player. He has gold in mixed doubles and silver and bronze in doubles.

Birthday September 24, 1882
Retired 1926
Highest Rank 10
Career Titles 41 singles
Grand Slam Titles 1 doubles
Olympic Medals Gold singles, Gold doubles, Bronze doubles

André Gobert

In 1909, André Gobert joined the amateur tour, and throughout his career, he’d win 26 titles. He never managed to win a Grand Slam in singles, but he did reach the finals of Wimbledon in 1912, losing to Arthur Gore of Great Britain in four sets.

The year prior, Gobert did manage to claim a doubles Grand Slam title at Wimbledon with his partner and fellow Frenchman Max Decugis.

Perhaps André’s crowning achievement was his double Gold medals in singles and doubles at the 1912 Stockholm Olympics.

Birthday September 30, 1890
Retired 1926
Highest Rank 3
Career Titles 26 singles
Grand Slam Titles 1 doubles
Olympic Medals Gold singles, Gold doubles

Yannick Noah

One of France’s most celebrated tennis players is Yannik Noah, who won the French Open in 1983, breaking a 37-year drought for a male tennis player to win the tournament.

Of course, his success extended far beyond his sole Grand Slam singles crown in France. Yannick won 23 titles throughout his career and achieved a career-high world ranking of No. 3 in 1986.

He also attained a world No. 1 ranking in doubles that same year and won the French Open in doubles in 1984.

Since retiring, Yannick has achieved moderate success as a singer, having released several albums, and he continues to perform.

Birthday May 18, 1960
Retired 1996
Highest Rank 3
Career Titles 23 singles /  16 doubles
Grand Slam Titles 1 singles / 1 doubles
Olympic Medals –

Jacques Brugnon

The fourth member of the Four Musketeers, Jacques Brugnon, was a successful singles player with 21 titles and a career-high ranking of No. 9. However, he primarily goes down in the history books as a doubles specialist who won ten Grand Slam titles for the discipline.

Jacques also helped lead the French team to five Davis Cup titles from 1927 to 1932, missing out only in 1929.

Birthday May 11, 1895
Retired –
Highest Rank 9
Career Titles 21 singles
Grand Slam Titles TBD singles / 10 doubles
Olympic Medals Silver doubles

Yvon Petra

Until Yannik Noah’s triumph at the French Open in 1983, Yvon was the last Frenchman to win the title at the Grand Slam in 1946. Soon after, in 1948, Yvon turned pro, so he couldn’t contest additional Grand Slam events as they were exclusively for amateurs.

At the end of his career, he had claimed 18 titles and reached a career-high world No. 4 ranking in 1946.

Birthday March 8, 1916
Retired 1955
Highest Rank 4
Career Titles 18 singles /  TBD doubles
Grand Slam Titles 1 singles / 2 doubles
Olympic Medals –

André Vacherot

During his career as a tennis player, André won the French Championships four times in 1894, 1895, 1896, and 1901. However, it’s worth noting that the tournament was only open to French club members until 1925.

Birthday June 5, 1877
Retired Unknown
Highest Rank Unknown
Career Titles Unknown
Grand Slam Titles 4 singles / 2 doubles
Olympic Medals –

Paul Aymé

Like André Vacherot, Paul Aymé won the French Championships four times during his career. However, what distinguished his results from André’s is that he did it consecutively from 1897 to 1900.

Birthday July 29, 1869
Retired Unknown
Highest Rank Unknown
Career Titles Unknown
Grand Slam Titles 4 singles
Olympic Medals –

Maurice Germot

Maurice is a three-time French Championship winner and doubles Gold medalist from the 1912 Stockholm Olympic Games. That year he partnered with countryman Max Decugis.

Birthday November 15, 1882
Retired Unknown
Highest Rank Unknown
Career Titles Unknown
Grand Slam Titles 3 singles
Olympic Medals Gold doubles

Women

Some of the most famous female tennis players from France competed and achieved success more recently, so you may be familiar with their names.

However, to track down one of history’s most celebrated women, we have to step back to the early 1900s.

Suzanne Lenglen

Known as the greatest female tennis player during the Open Era, i.e., before 1968, Suzanne Lenglen is one of the game’s most highly accomplished and best-known athletes.

Nicknamed La Divine, she became the inaugural world No. 1 in 1921 and held that position until 1926. Much of her success came at Wimbledon, where she won singles and doubles six times from 1919 to 1925.

One of her most intriguing wins was against prominent American tennis player Helen Wills in the United States, dubbed the Match of the Century, which she won. Suzanne is also well-known for helping lay the foundation for the professional tours before the Open Era began in 1968.

She earned 83 singles and 74 doubles titles throughout her career, and at the 1920 Olympic Games, she won gold in singles and mixed doubles and bronze in women’s doubles.

Birthday May 24, 1899
Retired 1926 (amateur)
Highest Rank 1
Career Titles 83 singles / 74 doubles
Grand Slam Titles 8 singles, 8 doubles
Olympic Medals Gold singles, Bronze doubles

Amélie Mauresmo

The most recent world No 1. on our list of women tennis players from France, Amélie Mauresmo, competed until December 2009.

In 2004, she ascended to world No. 1, becoming the first French player to hit the mark since the WTA tracked rankings on computers. Uniquely, she did so without having won a Grand Slam title.

Of course, all that would change in 2006 when she logged a hugely successful year that included titles at the Australian Open and Wimbledon.

Post-retirement, Mauresmo has continued to make a name for herself coaching a range of successful tennis players, including Michaël Llodra,
Victoria Azarenka, Marion Bartoli., Andy Murray, and Lucas Pouille.

In 2022, Amiélie Mauresmo became the first female tennis director at the French Open, solidifying her as one of the most famous French players to ever step on a court.

Birthday July 5, 1979
Retired 2009
Highest Rank 1
Career Titles 25 singles /  3 doubles
Grand Slam Titles 2 singles
Olympic Medals Silver singles

Mary Pierce

The last French player, male or female, to win the French Open, Mary Pierce, achieved a high level of success during her career.

In 1995 she ascended to a career-high world No. 2, and she claimed four total Grand Slam titles, two in singles, 1 in doubles, and 1 in mixed doubles. In total, she won 18 singles and ten doubles titles.

Born in Canada to her French mother and American father, she has citizenship in all three countries. However, she chose to represent France in team competitions, including the Fed Cup, in which she helped lead the team to wins in 1997 and 2003.

Birthday January 15, 1975
Retired 2006
Highest Rank 3
Career Titles 18 singles /  10 doubles
Grand Slam Titles 2 singles / 1 doubles
Olympic Medals –

Marion Bartoli

Known for her unique style of play, using two hands for her forehand and backhand, Marion Bartoli became one of the most famous French tennis players on the women’s side of the game.

During her career, she reached the quarter-finals of every Grand Slam event but only managed to win one at Wimbledon in 2013, defeating Sabine Lisicki in straight sets.

Unfortunately, shortly after her victory, Marion retired from tennis due to ongoing pain and injuries from her time in the sport. Although she attempted a comeback in 2018, it didn’t go super well as injuries continued to set her back.

Birthday October 2, 1984
Retired 2013
Highest Rank 7
Career Titles 8 singles /  3 doubles
Grand Slam Titles 1 singles
Olympic Medals –

Jeanne Matthey

A successful player in the early 1900s, Jeanne Matthey is a four-time French Open Champion in singles and doubles. She won all of her titles in consecutive years from 1909 to 1912.

After being wounded in World War I serving as a nurse on the front lines, she gave up tennis, but her success remains noteworthy.

Birthday January 25, 1886
Retired Unknown
Highest Rank Unknown
Career Titles Unknown
Grand Slam Titles 4 singles / 4 doubles
Olympic Medals –

Kate Gillou

Kate Gillou goes down in history as a four-time winner of the French Championships from 1904 to 1908.

Birthday:
Retired: –
Highest Rank: –
Titles: –
Grand Slams: 4 singles
Olympics: –

Birthday February 19, 1887
Retired Unknown
Highest Rank Unknown
Career Titles Unknown
Grand Slam Titles 4 singles
Olympic Medals –

Adine Masson

The first-ever winner at the French Championships, Adine Masson, claimed five wins at the tournament, even though two were uncontested in 1898 and 1899. In 1907, she won in doubles as well.

Birthday Unknown
Retired Unknown
Highest Rank Unknown
Career Titles Unknown
Grand Slam Titles 5 singles / 1 doubles
Olympic Medals –

d

Greatest of All Time

Although no French tennis player makes my list of the greatest tennis players of all time, two are worth noting as the best ever from France for their significant accomplishments.

Suzanne Lenglen – Female

Of all the players I’ve covered, Suzanne Lenglen stands alone with the most comprehensive and impressive achievements, which makes her the best French player, male or female, ever.

Suzanne’s highly decorated career includes the No. 1 ranking, 22 Grand Slam titles, nine in singles, eight in doubles, and five in mixed doubles. She also medaled in every discipline during the 1920 Olympic Games in Antwerp, with gold in singles and mixed doubles and bronze in doubles.

Throughout her career, she virtually never lost. With 83 singles titles and 74 doubles titles, and 93 mixed doubles titles, she had winning percentages of 97.9%, 97.7%, and 95.5%, respectively. She only logged 31 losses out of her total 967 matches played.

Although her achievements came well before the Open Era in 1968, she didn’t just succeed. Instead, she dominated the field like no other player and ushered in a dynamic style of play akin to the men’s game, which was a drastic departure from conventional women’s tennis.

Henri Cochet – Male

Although his name isn’t as widely recognized as René Lacoste, Henri’s achievements on the court far surpass Lacoste’s and cement him as the most successful Frenchman of all time.

Beyond achieving a world No. 1 ranking, Cochet won seven Grand Slam titles in singles, five in doubles, and three in mixed doubles. He also helped lead the French Davis Cup team to wins for six straight years and won Olympic silver in singles and doubles.

Of course, he achieved all of that success before he turned professional in 1933, where he competed until the second world war. Toward the end of his career, the French Tennis Association allowed him back as an amateur, where he’d finish playing, retiring in 1958.

Grand Slam Champions

There are four Grand Slam tournaments, including the Australian Open, French Open, Wimbledon, and US Open. These prestigious tournaments offer the highest prize money and are the hardest for a player to win due to the size of the draw and depth of field.

As a result, it’s incredibly significant when a player manages to win one, and they tend to achieve considerable fame for their success. The following is a comprehensive list of French Grand Slam champions.

Year Australian Open French Open Wimbledon US Open
1891
1892 Jean Schopfer
1893 Laurent Riboulet
1894 André Vacherot
1895 André Vacherot
1896 André Vacherot
1897 Paul Aymé
Adine Masson
1898 Paul Aymé
Adine Masson
1899 Paul Aymé
Adine Masson
1900 Paul Aymé
Yvonne Prévost
1901 André Vacherot
1902 Michel Vacherot
Adine Masson
1903 Max Decugis
Adine Masson
1904 Max Decugis
Kate Gillou
1905 Maurice Germot
Kate Gillou
1906 Maurice Germot
Kate Gillou-Fenwick
1907 Max Decugis
Comtesse de Kermel
1908 Max Decugis
Kate Gillou-Fenwick
1909 Max Decugis
Jeanne Matthey
1910 Maurice Germot
Jeanne Matthey
1911 André Gobert
Jeanne Matthey
1912 Max Decugis
Jeanne Matthey
1913 Max Decugis
Marguerite Broquedis
1914 Max Decugis
Marguerite Broquedis
1919 Suzanne Lenglen
1920 André Gobert
Suzanne Lenglen
Suzanne Lenglen
1921 Jean Samazeuilh
Suzanne Lenglen
Suzanne Lenglen
1922 Henri Cochet
Suzanne Lenglen
Suzanne Lenglen
1923 François Blanchy
Suzanne Lenglen
Suzanne Lenglen
1924 Jean Borotra
Julie Vlasto
1925 René Lacoste
Suzanne Lenglen
René Lacoste
Suzanne Lenglen
1926 Henri Cochet
Suzanne Lenglen
René Lacoste
1927 René Lacoste Henri Cochet René Lacoste
1928 Jean Borotra Henri Cochet René Lacoste Henri Cochet
1929 René Lacoste Henri Cochet
1930 Henri Cochet
1931 Jean Borotra
1932 Henri Cochet
1938 Simonne Passemard Mathieu
1939 Simonne Passemard Mathieu
1943 Simone Iribarne Lafargue
1944 Raymonde Veber Jones
1946 Marcel Bernard Yvon Petra
1948 Nelly Landry
1967 Françoise Dürr
1983 Yannick Noah
1995
2000 Mary Pierce
2006 Amélie Mauresmo Amélie Mauresmo
2013 Marion Bartoli

World No. 1s

Achieving a world No. 1 ranking is no easy task, as it requires consistent performance from a player. Only a handful from France have reached a No. 1 ranking in history. I’ve listed all of them below.

Male

  • René Lacoste
  • Henri Cochet

Female

  • Suzanne Lenglen
  • Amélie Mauresmo (Open Era)

The Open Era started in 1968 when professional players were allowed to compete alongside amateurs, forever changing the sport.

Since then, Amélie Mauresmo has been the only male or female French player who has achieved a No. 1 ranking.

Wrapping Up

Whether you’re a fan of French tennis or scouting the best players for an upcoming tournament, I hope this resource helped provide some insight into noteworthy players from the country.

If you think I’ve missed anyone or would like to share any thoughts on some of the players listed, I’d love to hear from you in the comments.

Home > Players > French Tennis Players

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