Suzanne Lenglen, French women's tennis icon of the 1920s, gave her name to the second largest court at Roland Garros.

The day after the kickoff of the tournament on Sunday, Stéphane Bern paints his portrait Monday in "Historically yours" on Europe 1.

Suzanne Lenglen, iconic female tennis champion, gave her name to the second largest court at Roland Garros. While the kickoff of the tournament was given on Sunday, Stéphane Bern paints in Historically yours on Europe 1 the portrait of this exceptional player, who marked the history of tennis. A true icon in the aftermath of the First World War and until the end of her career in 1933, Suzanne Lenglen fascinated audiences the world over.

"We nicknamed her" The divine ". And to see Suzanne Lenglen playing tennis on a video shot in 1924 by the company Pathé, that's the word that comes to mind. On these images, she plays tennis like others would dance on the stage of the opera, multiplying the ballerina's jumps, the ample, graceful, light gesture. These images show moreover the tennis champion than the social icon. On the courts, the Frenchwoman kept certainly the grace of a dancer. But above all she was a player with extraordinary power, brutal variations in play, aggressive technique and extraordinary precision. A game at odds with that of the players of the time, which made her a world-renowned champion, the first true female tennis star with an exceptional record. 

An extraordinary talent

Between 1919 and 1926, the year of her professional career, Suzanne Lenglen lost only one singles match, in 1921. Sick during the United States Open, she preferred to throw in the towel against the American Molla Mallory. In the meantime of these seven years, she won six times at Wimbledon, six times at the French Open and was crowned Olympic champion in Antwerp in 1920, winning gold in singles, ladies' doubles and mixed doubles.

For her, it all started before the First World War.

Suzanne Lenglen was born in Paris in 1899 and spent her childhood in Picardy, in the beautiful family property, in Marest-sur-Matz.

She played golf, horseback riding, swimming, dancing, gymnastics, but it was tennis, the modern version of the Jeu de Paume that arrived in France in the late 1870s and quickly became very popular. , that she shows an extraordinary talent.

Suzanne's father, Charles Lenglen, an assiduous sportsman, very quickly noticed his daughter's taste and talent for this racquet sport, which she practices on the clay court of the estate.

He who prematurely lost a son, Philippe, lives only for her, they say.

He wants to make her a child prodigy and gives her rigorous training, which will quickly show impressive results. 

Media craze

A few months later, Suzanne was already registered for her first tournament in Chantilly, in 1911. She was only 12 years old at the time, but the teenager was already a formidable competitor and proved it by reaching the final.

After this first competition, everything came together: a victory at the Picardy championships, a final against champion Marguerite Broquedis at the French championships, ancestors of Roland Garros, then a victory on clay at the World Cup in 1914. C ' is an achievement, the first time that a woman so young - she is only 15 years old - has won such a trophy.

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The First World War put an end to this ascent for a time.

But in 1919, Suzanne Lenglen, who did not stop her training during the years of conflict - and in particular with male partners - made her comeback at Wimbledon.

At the time, the English reigned supreme in tennis, which they invented.

But that year, at just 20 years old, the young Frenchwoman was going to shake everything up.

At the end of an anthology final against the defending champion, the English Lambert Chambers, and in front of King George V and his wife, Suzanne Lenglen won the Wimbledon tournament.

This is the start of glory.

Across the Channel, everyone is struggling.

The crowd rushes to hope to see him and ask for an autograph, the English press follows.

This is the first time that a sportswoman has been the subject of such media enthusiasm.

In France, this runaway will take longer to start.

It was not until her victories at the very first French Open in 1925 at Roland Garros - in singles, and twice in women's doubles - for her to achieve the same status as an icon as in the United Kingdom.

Suzanne Lenglen was then at the peak of her art, dominating the courts and revolutionizing women's tennis. 

Bright colors and bare arms

In addition to being a racket virtuoso, she is also very skilled in the art of healing her image.

It breaks free not only from the sporting codes of its discipline, but also from dress codes.

On the courts, she dares bright colors, reveals her ankles and bare arms.

"The French player alone is worth the inconvenience, as we say colloquially. Every day, she changes town dress, which she wears delightfully, and naturally also sports costume", can we read in the press somewhat misogynist at the time.

Suzanne Lenglen is the archetype of the new woman, sporty and flirtatious at the same time, daring and avant-garde.

Suzanne Lenglen poses, racket in hand, at the end of the 1920s © AFP

The Cannes tournament in February 1926 was the culmination of his career.

The "match of the century" pits her against the other great champion of the moment, the American Helen Willis.

This was the last real success of Suzanne Lenglen, who then seemed to live more and more badly on her notoriety.

She is seeing doctors more and more often, taking sleeping medicine. 

During the Wimbledon tournament of 1926, Suzanne Lenglen drew the wrath of the public and the organizers by refusing to appear at one of her matches because of a medical appointment which made her late. This last minute abandonment is all the more badly lived as Queen Mary is present in the stands, in front of a court which will remain hopelessly empty. The champion, she is having a nervous breakdown in the locker room.

The same year, after having finally won this match played two days later, in front of a cold audience, without a Queen and without any applause, Suzanne Lenglen put an end to her amateur career.

Indeed in France, tennis will not become professional until 40 years later.

She becomes the star of what is the first professional tennis tour across the United States, hosted by a promoter.

A first for a woman but a last for the star, who saw her career decline until her final retirement in 1933.

Suzanne Lenglen died in 1938, at the age of 39, from a fulgurating leukemia.

His name remains forever associated with Roland Garros which, in 1997, named his second court to pay tribute to him.

Just return of things for the one who was the first to win the tournament. "