The Four Musketeers (tennis)

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Jacques Brugnon and Henri Cochet together in doubles in 1930 (top), Jean Borotra, « le Basque bondissant » (the bounding Basque), in 1931 (below-left), René Lacoste in 1929 (below-right).

The Four Musketeers, (French: Les Quatre Mousquetaires) named after a 1921 film adaptation of Alexandre Dumas' novel,[1] were French tennis players who were top competitors of the game during the second half of the 1920s and early 1930s, winning 18 Grand Slam singles titles and 13 Grand Slam doubles.[2][3] They also led France to six straight Davis Cup wins, 1927–32, in an era when Cup matches enjoyed a prestige similar to today's FIFA World Cup finals. At its creation in 1927, the men's French Open trophy was named the Coupe des Mousquetaires in honour of the quartet.[1]

Fifth Musketeer

The Four Musketeers were:

While Brugnon was primarily a doubles specialist, Borotra, Cochet, and Lacoste won many singles titles. Among them, they won three United States Championships at Forest Hills, six consecutive Wimbledon titles from 1924 through 1929, and 10 titles in 11 years at the French Championships from 1922 through 1932 (up to and including 1924, though, the tournament was only open to members of French tennis clubs, therefore wasn't a major tournament until 1925).[9] From 1926 until 1930, either Lacoste or Cochet was ranked No. 1 in the world, and in 1926 and 1927 all four musketeers were ranked in the top-10.[10] The only player capable of challenging their dominance was the American Bill Tilden (world number-one from 1920 until 1926, when Lacoste took over the position). The Musketeers were finally eclipsed by the arrival of Ellsworth Vines, Fred Perry and Jack Crawford on the international tennis scene in the first half of the 1930s.[11]

After Lacoste's withdrawal from competitive tennis in 1929, due to failing health, including respiratory disease he was replaced on the French Davis Cup team by Christian Boussus, earning him the nickname "Fifth Musketeer".[12]

Grand Slam finals

Grand Slam singles finals involving the Four Musketeers.

Result Year Championship Surface Winner Finalist Score
Win1924WimbledonGrassFrance Jean BorotraFrance René Lacoste6–1, 3–6, 6–1, 3–6, 6–4
Win1925French ChampionshipsClayFrance René LacosteFrance Jean Borotra7–5, 6–1, 6–4
Win1925WimbledonGrassFrance René LacosteFrance Jean Borotra6–3, 6–3, 4–6, 8–6
Win1926French ChampionshipsClayFrance Henri CochetFrance René Lacoste6–2, 6–4, 6–3
Win1926WimbledonGrassFrance Jean BorotraUnited States Howard Kinsey8–6, 6–1, 6–3
Win1926U.S. ChampionshipsGrassFrance René LacosteFrance Jean Borotra6–4, 6–0, 6–4
Win1927French ChampionshipsClayFrance René LacosteUnited States Bill Tilden6–4, 4–6, 5–7, 6–3, 11–9
Win1927WimbledonGrassFrance Henri CochetFrance Jean Borotra4–6, 4–6, 6–3, 6–4, 7–5
Win1927U.S. ChampionshipsGrassFrance René LacosteUnited States Bill Tilden11–9, 6–3, 11–9
Win1928Australian ChampionshipsGrassFrance Jean BorotraAustralia Jack Cummings6–4, 6–1, 4–6, 5–7, 6–3
Win1928French ChampionshipsClayFrance Henri CochetFrance René Lacoste5–7, 6–3, 6–1, 6–3
Win1928WimbledonGrassFrance René LacosteFrance Henri Cochet6–1, 4–6, 6–4, 6–2
Win1928U.S. ChampionshipsGrassFrance Henri CochetUnited States Frank Hunter4–6, 6–4, 3–6, 7–5, 6–3
Win1929French ChampionshipsClayFrance René LacosteFrance Jean Borotra6–3, 2–6, 6–0, 2–6, 8–6
Win1929WimbledonGrassFrance Henri CochetFrance Jean Borotra6–4, 6–3, 6–4
Win1930French ChampionshipsClayFrance Henri CochetUnited States Bill Tilden3–6, 8–6, 6–3, 6–1
Win1931French ChampionshipsClayFrance Jean BorotraFrance Christian Boussus2–6, 6–4, 7–5, 6–4
Win1932French ChampionshipsClayFrance Henri CochetItaly Giorgio de Stefani6–0, 6–4, 4–6, 6–3
Loss1932U.S. ChampionshipsGrassUnited States Ellsworth VinesFrance Henri Cochet6–4, 6–4, 6–4
Loss1933French ChampionshipsClayAustralia Jack CrawfordFrance Henri Cochet8–6, 6–1, 6–3

Career statistics

Key
W  F  SF QF #R RRQ# DNQ A NH
(W) winner; (F) finalist; (SF) semifinalist; (QF) quarterfinalist; (#R) rounds 4, 3, 2, 1; (RR) round-robin stage; (Q#) qualification round; (DNQ) did not qualify; (A) absent; (NH) not held; (SR) strike rate (events won / competed); (W–L) win–loss record.

(OF) only for French club members

Combined performance timeline (best result)

  • Since the year of first slam win.
1924192519261927192819291930193119321933 SR
Grand Slam tournaments18 / 27
Australian AAAA W AAAAA 1 / 1
French OF W W W W W W W W F 8 / 9
Wimbledon W W W W W W SF SF 4R A 6 / 9
U.S. QF QF W W W A 1R 1R F A 3 / 8

Legacy

See also

References

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