This Sunday a new edition of the French Open begins and will have a great Argentine presence. I know the story of the protagonist from his name.
This Sunday starts the Roland Garrossecond Grand Slam of the season and which is played in France. The contest will feature a great participation of Argentine tennis playerswho dream of repeating the feats of Guillermo Vilas (champion in 1977) and Gastón Gaudio (2004). But this time we are going to reveal the reason for the name of the tournament for some, while we will expand the story for those who already knew the reason.
Why is the Grand Slam played in France called Roland Garros?
The french openone of the four most important tournaments on the tennis circuit, It has been called Roland Garros since 1928., when the stadium built in Paris was named in his honor “Roland Garros Stadium”. That was called a French aviation pioneer who was a fighter pilot during World War I. Su tragic death in the war conflict generated that pay tribute to him by naming the main tennis stadium after him, since he was an amateur tennis player. Now, let’s learn more about the pilot and his myths.
Who was Roland Garros, the pilot whose tragic death gave the French Open its name
Eugene Adrien Roland Georges Garros, better known as Roland Garrosit was like we said a French aviation pioneer and fighter pilot during the First World War. He was born on October 6, 1888 in Saint-Denis, Réunion (France) and he played several sports as a youngster: cycling (he won an inter-school championship), football, rugby and tennis. At the age of 20, he was fascinated by the beginnings of aviation and focused his life on investigating this new world that was just beginning.
After beat the altitude record twicepassed to posterity on September 23, 1913 by make the first non-stop voyage across the Mediterranean Sea in a monoplane: he traveled 756 kilometers in less than 8 hours and despite the unforeseen events that arose in mid-flight. “Victory belongs to the most obstinate”he said on the propellers of his constructions.
In 1914, already converted into a national benchmark, Garros enlisted in the French army at the outbreak of World War I.. A myth related for a long time that he was the protagonist of the first aerial battle for having flown his plane into a zeppelin. However, news sources they ended up discarding the fact. Being a fighter pilot got four victories until his death in service one day after his 30th birthday in the hands of german soldiers. Upon hearing the news, mourning spread throughout Francesince they considered that it had marked an era.
In 1928, the Paris City Council finished building a stadium to host the Davis Cup final, which pitted the host country against the United States. The Municipal Council of Paris received a dozen proposals to carry out the work and the Stade Français sports club project ended up being imposed. Emile Mister, president of the club, he asked as the only condition that the stadium bear the name of Roland Garros, a close friend of his and a former member of the club. Thus it was that the previously named French Championship began to be called French Roland Garros International Tournamentthat over the years was shortened to the name of the renowned French aviator.
Fotos: Getty Images.
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