Yannick
Noah made history 40 years ago by defeating
Mats Wilander in the final of the
1983
French Open.
The
Frenchman entered the 1983 French Open as the 6th seed. He was the biggest hope
for the home crowd in a draw filled with legends such as
Jimmy Connors, John
McEnroe, Ivan Lendl, Guillermo Vilas, Jose Luis Clerc, and Mats Wilander. It
was precisely Wilander, the Swedish player, who fell to Noah in three sets in
the final of the tournament.
Noah's achievement
is significant not only because of the formidable opponents he faced but also
because he is the only Frenchman to have won a Grand Slam since 1947, and one
of only three in the last 89 years. In terms of
Roland Garros, he is the only
French player to have lifted the trophy in the last 74 editions.
The
following year, Noah won the title again, but this time in doubles alongside
his compatriot Henri Leconte. The former world No. 3 won 23 singles titles and
was a finalist in another thirteen tournaments, making him one of the greatest
legends in French tennis.
Every time
the French Open lacks French representatives, the name of Yannick Noah is
remembered. 40 years after the local tennis player's title, none of the French
representatives made it past the second round of the 2023 Roland Garros.
