The Countdown to Roland Garros: The Man Behind the Name

Roland Garros- The Man Behind the Name

In 1928, amidst international attention, a magnificent new tennis facility in Paris was christened “Le Stade de Roland Garros,” in honor of a young war hero who had lost his life ten years before.  His name has since become synonymous with one of the most revered of tennis tournaments in the world – the French Open- held each May on the red clay courts for which this stadium is renowned.

Why was such a sizable honor bestowed on such a young man?  What impact had he made that substantiated the largesse of this tribute?  The answers to these questions are not difficult to find when considering the immense national pride of the country for which he sacrificed his life.

Born October 6^th, 1888, in Saint Denis, Reunion, a small French island located in the Indian Ocean east of Africa,  Roland Garros’ early childhood was spent a full continent away from mainland France.  The son of a lawyer, 10-year old Garros was sent away to Cannes (at the south of France) to continue his formal education.  His arrival in Paris, years later, came upon his acceptance as a student at the prestigious HEC Paris, an international business school still ranked the best in Europe.  It was during those years that his fascination and reputation as an avid sports enthusiast grew.  Though rugby was reportedly his strongest suit, he also enjoyed bicycling and playing tennis on the courts of Paris’ Stade Francais.

Upon graduation from HEC, young Garros’ first job was with Grégoire, a well-known French car manufacturer located in the western suburbs of Paris.   During this time, and most likely as a sport, he began to develop a keen interest in aviation.   His skills as a pilot were apparent in the many European air races in which he competed and won.  Notable among those early victories was his second place finish in the 1911 Paris-to-Rome aerial competition, his first place finish in the 1913 International Air Rally of Monaco, and his significant achievement in breaking several world altitude records.  The accolades he received from those triumphs, however, paled in contrast to his record-breaking flight on September 23^rd, 1913.  On that day, in just under eight hours, Garros etched his name in the history books by becoming the first person to fly across the Mediterrean Sea.

His widely-noted excellence in the cockpit had earned him the respect of aircraft manufacturer, Morane-Saulnier, who hired him in 1912 as their official test pilot.  His tenure there however, was short-lived.  When World War I broke out in 1914, Garros joined the French Air Corps as a lieutenant and began flying observation missions.  At the beginning of the war, military aircraft were primarily used for this type of reconnaissance duty, but in time, pilots began to equip their planes with guns to fire upon ground soldiers and enemy aircraft.

While serving in the MS23 squadron, Garros continued to work alongside Raymond Saulnier (of the Morane-Saulnier aircraft company) in designing a device which would allow for the firing of a machine gun through an airplane’s propeller.   Prior to this design concept, machine guns were mounted on the rear of planes, and it took two men to launch an air attack.  The lead pilot would maneuver the nose of the plane in such a way that his co-pilot could fire directly on the enemy from the back of the aircraft.

Raymond Saulnier’s original design for a forward-firing machine gun would allow a pilot to aim his plane and his gun in the same direction.   The greatest threat in his design, however, was the potential risk of propeller damage from the errant bullets of the forward-mounted gun.   Garros suggested the use of small steel wedges attached to the propeller blades to help deflect the bullets, and on April 1, 1915, he took to the skies in his newly outfitted combat plane.   That same day, he spotted a German Albatross   B-II, took aim, and successfully shot it down.  Seventeen days later, after three additional German planes had fallen victim to his gunfire, Garros himself was shot down behind enemy lines.  Though landing safely, he was taken captive before he was able to destroy his plane (a common practice among soldiers to keep the aircraft out of enemy hands.)

The Germans didn’t waste time in capitalizing on the seizure of Garros’ plane.   Engaging the assistance of their own design team, led by Dutchman Anthony Fokker, they were able to study and improve upon the innovative features of Garros’ forward-firing plane.  Fitted with machine guns, deflectors and interrupter gear that synchronized the rate of machine gun fire with the propeller speed, these single- seater airplanes were soon on their way to German troops on the Western front.  This coup marked the true beginnings of aerial combat.

Garros was well treated during his internment in an elite prisoners’ camp, where he remained until successfully escaping in February 1918.  He fled to Holland and soon returned to his native France, where he wasted no time in rejoining his comrades in the French Air Corps.   On October 5, 1918, near Vouziers in the region of Ardenne, this brave pilot was once again shot down; this time losing his life, one day before his 30^th birthday and a short five weeks before the Armistice was signed.

Ten years later, his long-time friend and HEC classmate, Emile Lesieur, was serving in the capacity of President of Paris’ well-known tennis club Stade Francais.  It was this prestigious club which donated the parcel of land necessary to build the new tennis stadium which would host the 1928 Davis Cup rematch between the American and the French “Musketeers”.  The one condition attached to the donation was that it would take the name of Lesieur’s friend, and the nation’s young hero: Roland Garros.

The spirit of Roland Garros continues to soar above the beautiful stadium built in his honor, providing endless inspiration for the young men and women who emulate his courage and steely determination while fighting their own battles on the clay courts which bear his name.

- Alyce Vilines, GEM Tennis