The facts: Rene Lacoste, tennis legend and ace businessman
- Rene Lacoste: A tennis legend of the Golden Era
Rene Lacoste was born in 1904. Despite being an exceptional student, he decided to drop out at the age of 18 in 1922 to pursue tennis, a sport he had only started playing three years earlier. Lacoste, known for his meticulous approach to the game, paid attention to his physical fitness, diet, and even kept a notebook to track the strengths and weaknesses of his opponents.
Renowned tennis writer Bud Collins described him as a master of the backcourt game, applying pressure steadily to force errors or create openings for winning shots. His strategic play style earned him the nickname “The Alligator” (later changed to “Crocodile”) following a bet involving a crocodile suitcase with his Davis Cup captain in 1923.
During his career, Lacoste won seven major titles, including the French Championships and Wimbledon. He was also a key player in the French Davis Cup team, known as the “Four Musketeers,” who secured the Davis Cup victory for France in 1927.
Aside from his tennis prowess, Lacoste was a creative mind and inventor who revolutionized the sport. He developed innovations such as the racquet grip, tennis ball machine, and the first metal racquet, which became iconic in tennis history.
His most significant contribution, however, was founding the iconic brand Lacoste in 1933. The brand’s signature crocodile logo and breathable L.12.12. shirt became staple items in the tennis world and continue to be popular today.
Named honorary president of the French Tennis Federation and inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame, Lacoste passed away in 1996 at the age of 92, leaving behind a lasting legacy in both the sport of tennis and the fashion industry.
