René Lacoste Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids
René Lacoste

Lacoste in 1929

Country (sports)

France

Born

2 July 1904
Paris, France

Died

12 October 1996 (aged 92)
Saint-Jean-de-Luz, France

Retired

1932

Plays

Right-handed (one-handed backhand)

Int. Tennis HoF

1976 (member page)

Singles

Career record

262–43 (85.9%)

Career titles

Highest ranking

No. 1 (1926, A. Wallis Myers)

Grand Slam singles results

French Open

W (1925, 1927, 1929)

Wimbledon

W (1925, 1928)

US Open

W (1926, 1927)

Other tournaments

Olympic Games

QF (1924)

Doubles

Grand Slam doubles results

French Open

W (1925, 1929)

Wimbledon

W (1925)

Grand Slam mixed doubles results

Wimbledon

2R (1923)

US Open

F (1926, 1927)

Team competitions

Davis Cup

W (1927, 1928)

Medal record

Olympic Games

Bronze	1924 Paris	Doubles

Jean René Lacoste was a famous French tennis player and a smart businessman. People called him "the Crocodile" because of how tough he was on the tennis court. He is also known all over the world for creating the Lacoste tennis shirt in 1929. Later, in 1933, he started the famous Lacoste brand with its crocodile logo.

Lacoste was one of "The Four Musketeers." This was a group of four amazing French tennis players. The others were Jean Borotra, Jacques Brugnon, and Henri Cochet. They were the best in tennis in the late 1920s and early 1930s. René Lacoste won seven major tennis titles called Grand Slam singles championships. These wins were at the French, American, and British tournaments. He was a very good player who stayed at the back of the court and used smart plans to win.

As part of the French team, Lacoste helped win the Davis Cup in 1927 and 1928. He was ranked the World No. 1 player in both 1926 and 1927. He also won a bronze medal at the 1924 Summer Olympics.

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René Lacoste: The Tennis Star

René Lacoste in 1922, when he was just 18 years old.

René Lacoste began playing tennis when he was 15 years old. He started during a trip to England with his father. His first big tournament was the 1922 Wimbledon Championships. He lost in the first round there. The next year, in 1923, he did much better at Wimbledon, reaching the fourth round. He also played in the U.S. Championships for the first time.

Grand Slam Wins and Davis Cup

Lacoste became a top player in 1925. That year, he won the singles titles at the French Championships and at Wimbledon. He beat his fellow French player, Jean Borotra, in both finals. In 1926, he lost his French title but won the U.S. National Championships. He was ranked the No. 1 player in the world for 1926.

In 1927, Lacoste was part of the French team that won the Davis Cup. They beat the United States team, who had won for six years in a row. Lacoste won both of his singles matches in the final. He also won two Grand Slam finals against Bill Tilden that year. He won the French Championships and defended his title at the U.S. National Championships. He was again ranked the No. 1 player in the world for 1927.

In 1928, Lacoste won the Wimbledon Championships. He beat Henri Cochet in the final. France also defended the Davis Cup that year. A special stadium, Stade Roland Garros, was built in Paris just for this event.

Lacoste played many Davis Cup matches for France between 1923 and 1928. He won 32 out of 40 singles matches. In 1929, he won his seventh and last Grand Slam singles title at the French Championships. He had to stop playing tennis much in 1929 because of health problems. He made a short return in 1932 but then retired. He was also the captain for the French Davis Cup team in 1932 and 1933.

In 1976, René Lacoste and the other three Musketeers were added to the International Tennis Hall of Fame. This is a special place that honors the best tennis players ever.

The "Crocodile" Nickname

René Lacoste got his famous nickname, "The Crocodile," in a fun way. In the 1920s, he made a bet with his team captain. If he won a certain match, he would get a suitcase made of alligator skin. He won the match, and the American newspapers started calling him "The Alligator." Later, his friend Robert George embroidered a crocodile onto a blazer. Lacoste wore this blazer during his matches, and the nickname "The Crocodile" stuck!

Beyond the Court: Business and Innovation

René Lacoste (right) with Otto Froitzheim.

After his tennis career, Lacoste became a very successful businessman. In 1933, he started a company called La Société Chemise Lacoste with André Gillier.

The Famous Lacoste Polo Shirt

This company made the tennis shirt that Lacoste often wore when he played. This shirt became known as the "polo shirt." It had a small crocodile logo sewn onto the chest. This logo became one of the most famous in the world. Lacoste's son, Bernard, took over the company in 1963.

Inventing a New Tennis Racket

René Lacoste was also an inventor. In 1961, he created a new kind of tennis racket. It was the first one made from tubular steel. Before this, all rackets were made of wood. His new steel racket was stronger and helped players hit the ball with more power. It was sold in Europe under the Lacoste brand. In the United States, it was sold by Wilson Sporting Goods as the Wilson T-2000. Famous tennis players like Billie Jean King and Jimmy Connors used this racket.

René Lacoste's Family Life

René Lacoste was born to Jeanne-Marie Magdeleine Larrieu-Let and Jean-Jules Lacoste. His family came from Monein, in southwest France.

On June 30, 1930, he married a golf champion named Simone de la Chaume. Their daughter, Catherine Lacoste, also became a champion golfer. She later became the president of the Golf Club Chantaco, which her mother had started. This club is near Saint-Jean-de-Luz, France.