Jean Borotra

Jean Borotra

Jean Borotra, the "Bounding Basque", in 1931
Full name	Jean Laurent Robert Borotra
Country (sports)	France
Born	13 August 1898 Biarritz, France
Died	17 July 1994 (aged 95) Arbonne, France
Height	1.86 m (6 ft 1 in)
Turned pro	1920 (amateur tour)
Retired	1956
Plays	Right-handed (one-handed backhand)
Int. Tennis HoF	1976 (member page)
Singles
Career record	0–0
Highest ranking	No. 2 (1926, A. Wallis Myers)[1]
Grand Slam Singles results
Australian Open	W (1928)
French Open	W (1931)
Wimbledon	W (1924, 1926)
US Open	F (1926)
Other tournaments
WHCC	SF (1922)
WCCC	F (1922)
Olympic Games	SF – 4th (1924)
Doubles
Career record	0–1
Highest ranking	No. 1 (1925)
Grand Slam Doubles results
Australian Open	W (1928)
French Open	W (1925, 1928, 1929, 1934, 1936)
Wimbledon	W (1925, 1932, 1933)
Mixed doubles
Grand Slam Mixed Doubles results
Australian Open	W (1928)
French Open	W (1927, 1934)
Wimbledon	W (1925)
US Open	W (1926)
Team competitions
Davis Cup	W (1927, 1928, 1929, 1930, 1931, 1932)
Medal record Olympic Games 1924 Paris Doubles

Jean Robert Borotra (French pronunciation: ​[ʒɑ̃ ʁɔbɛʁ bɔ.ʁotʁa], Basque pronunciation: [borotɾa]; 13 August 1898 – 17 July 1994) was a French tennis champion. He was one of the famous "Four Musketeers" from his country who dominated tennis in the late 1920s and early 1930s.

Career

Borotra was born in Domaine du Pouy, Biarritz, Aquitaine and married an English woman.

Known as "the Bounding Basque", he won four Grand Slam singles titles in the French, Australian, and All England championships. The 1924 French Championship does not count towards his grand slam total as the French was only open to French nationals, not internationals. He, only failing to win only in the American championships, as he was defeated in the final by his countryman René Lacoste 6–4, 6–0, 6–4, thus missing a career Grand Slam. His 1924 Wimbledon victory made him the first player from outside the English-speaking world to win the tournament. His first appearance was in the French Davis Cup team of 1921. He also made the final of the World Covered Court Championship in 1922, losing to Henri Cochet but won the doubles and mixed doubles. The other major he did well in was the World Hard Court Championships (played on clay) - he won the doubles with Henri Cochet there in 1922.

Borotra was ranked as high as World No. 2 by A. Wallis Myers of The Daily Telegraph in 1926.^[1]

A member of François de la Rocque's Parti social français (PSF), he became 1st General Commissioner to Sports from August 1940 to April 1942 during Vichy France, leading the Révolution nationale's efforts in sports policy.

Arrested by the Gestapo in November 1942, Borotra was deported to a concentration camp in Germany and then Itter Castle in North Tyrol until May 1945. He was freed from the castle after the Battle for Castle Itter, which he played a courageous role vaulting from the fortress and running to a nearby town to summon reinforcements.^[2]

The Four Musketeers were inducted simultaneously into the International Tennis Hall of Fame in Newport, Rhode Island in 1976. In 1984, Borotra received a Distinguished Service award from the United States Sports Academy in recognition of his achievements.

On 17 July 1994, Jean Borotra, founder and president of honour of the CIFP (International Committee for Fair Play) died at the age of 95, after a short illness. He was buried at Arbonne.^[3]

The International Fair Play Committee, which recognises achievements annually, awards a Jean Borotra World Fair Play Trophy.

Grand Slam finals

Singles: 10 (4 titles, 6 runners-up)

Result	Year	Championship	Surface	Opponent	Score
Winner	1924	Wimbledon	Grass	René Lacoste	6–1, 3–6, 6–1, 3–6, 6–4
Runner-up	1925	French Championships	Clay	René Lacoste	5–7, 1–6, 4–6
Runner-up	1925	Wimbledon	Grass	René Lacoste	3–6, 3–6, 6–4, 6–8
Winner	1926	Wimbledon	Grass	Howard Kinsey	8–6, 6–1, 6–3
Runner-up	1926	U.S. National Championships	Grass	René Lacoste	4–6, 0–6, 4–6
Runner-up	1927	Wimbledon	Grass	Henri Cochet	6–4, 6–4, 3–6, 4–6, 5–7
Winner	1928	Australian Championships	Grass	Jack Cummings	6–4, 6–1, 4–6, 5–7, 6–3
Runner-up	1929	French Championships	Clay	René Lacoste	3–6, 6–2, 0–6, 6–2, 6–8
Runner-up	1929	Wimbledon	Grass	Henri Cochet	4–6, 3–6, 4–6
Winner	1931	French Championships	Clay	Christian Boussus	2–6, 6–4, 7–5, 6–4

Doubles: 12 (9 titles – 3 runners-up)

Result	Year	Championship	Surface	Partner	Opponents	Score
Winner	1925	French Championships	Clay	René Lacoste	Henri Cochet Jacques Brugnon	7–5, 4–6, 6–3, 2–6, 6–3
Winner	1925	Wimbledon	Grass	René Lacoste	John Hennesey Raymond Casey	6–4, 11–9, 4–6, 1–6, 6–3
Winner	1928	Australian Championships	Grass	Jacques Brugnon	Gar Moon Jim Willard	6–2, 4–6, 6–4, 6–4
Runner-up	1927	French Championships	Clay	René Lacoste	Henri Cochet Jacques Brugnon	6–2, 2–6, 0–6, 6–1, 4–6
Winner	1928	French Championships	Clay	Jacques Brugnon	Henri Cochet Ren De Buzelet	6–4, 3–6, 6–2, 3–6, 6–4
Winner	1929	French Championships	Clay	René Lacoste	Henri Cochet Jacques Brugnon	6–3, 3–6, 6–3, 3–6, 8–6
Winner	1932	Wimbledon	Grass	Jacques Brugnon	Pat Hughes Fred Perry	6–0, 4–6, 3–6, 7–5, 7–5
Winner	1933	Wimbledon	Grass	Jacques Brugnon	Ryosuki Nunoi Jiro Satoh	4–6, 6–3, 6–3, 7–5
Winner	1934	French Championships	Clay	Jacques Brugnon	Jack Crawford Vivian McGrath	11–9, 6–3, 2–6, 4–6, 9–7
Runner-up	1934	Wimbledon	Grass	Jacques Brugnon	George Lott Lester Stoefen	2–6, 3–6, 4–6
Winner	1936	French Championships	Clay	Marcel Bernard	Pat Hughes Charles Tuckey	6–2, 3–6, 9–7, 6–1
Runner-up	1939	French Championships	Clay	Jacques Brugnon	Don McNeill Charles Harris	6–4, 4–6, 0–6, 6–2, 8–10

Mixed doubles: 5 titles

Result	Year	Championship	Surface	Partner	Opponents	Score
Winner	1925	Wimbledon	Grass	Suzanne Lenglen	Elizabeth Ryan Uberto de Morpurgo	6–3, 6–3
Winner	1926	U.S. National Championships	Grass	Elizabeth Ryan	Hazel Hotchkiss René Lacoste	6–4, 7–5
Winner	1927	French Championships	Clay	Marguerite Broquedis	Lilí Álvarez Bill Tilden	6–4, 2–6, 6–2
Winner	1928	Australian Championships	Grass	Daphne Akhurst	Esna Boyd Jack Hawkes	default
Winner	1934	French Championships	Clay	Colette Rosambert	Elizabeth Ryan Adrian Quist	6–2, 6–4

References

1. United States Lawn Tennis Association (1972). Official Encyclopedia of Tennis (First Edition), p. 424.
2. Mayer, John G. (26 May 1945). "12th Men Free French Big-Wigs". Hellcat News (12th Armored Division).
3. Christopher Clarey (18 July 1994). "Jean Borotra Is Dead at 95; One of Tennis's '4 Musketeers'". The New York Times.

External links

• Jean Borotra at the International Tennis Hall of Fame
• Jean Borotra at the International Tennis Federation
• Jean Borotra at the Davis Cup