Why the French Open is named after Roland Garros, who didn’t play tennis

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May 27, 2026

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editor@creativeunderworld.com

French aviator Roland Garros pictured in the cockpit of an aircraft in 1911.

Roland Garros, a WWI-era pilot, is credited with revolutionizing aerial combat. The major Paris tennis tournament was named after him in 1928, a decade after his death in combat.

(Image credit: Branger/Getty Images)