Over four decades have passed since Roland Garros last crowned a French champion in the men’s singles event.
Former world no. 3 Yannick Noah won his first and only Grand Slam title in Paris after a storming run at the 1983 tournament.
Entering as the sixth seed, Noah lost just three games in a first round win over Anders Jarryd before beating Victor Pecci in the second.
Pat DuPre and John Alexander were also defeated in straight sets as the Sedan-born star cruised into the French Open quarter-finals.
It was at this stage that Noah lost his only set in the French capital that year when facing Ivan Lendl, who couldn’t capitalise.
Christophe Roger-Vasselin made it an all-French semi-final clash, but he could only muster wins in three games to fall short.
Noah then met Mats Wilander and emerged triumphant with a 6-2 7-5 7-6 [7-3] win on the famous clay court.
In the following 41 years, just one Frenchman has reached the final.
Henri Leconte had even beaten Boris Becker to be in with the chance of Grand Slam glory in 1988 but lost in straight sets to Wilander.
Noah’s return to Roland Garros as reigning men’s singles champion ended in a quarter-final exit.
However, he and Leconte became title winners in the men’s doubles by beating Czech duo Pavel Slozil and Tomas Smid in five sets.
An Australian Open semi-final in 1990 was the closest Noah came to success at one of the other three Grand Slams.
He retired in 1996, but his post-tennis career began five years prior.
Noah took to the microphone and released his debut music album titled Black & What that included the popular song Saga Africa.
It reached number two in the French charts and after France won the 1991 Davis Cup with Noah as captain, it was sung by fans and players.
After Urban Tribu and Zaam Zam, the self-titled album Yannick Noah was brought out in 2000 and even hit diamond status in Belgium.
Noah also performed at the Palais de Versailles in 2005 for Live 8, a benefit concert founded by music legend Bob Geldof.
He later performed in front of almost 80,000 at the Stade de France for his 2010 album Frontieres.
Although music became his profession, sport has always remained in Noah’s family.
His son Joakim was born in New York in 1985 and grew up to have a 13-year career in the NBA.
Joakim is a two-time NBA All-Star and was named as the league’s Defensive Player of the Year for the 2013/14 season.
During a match for the Chicago Bulls in 2014 against Miami Heat, his father was conducting a court-side interview with ESPN.
With Heat failing to score from an attack, Joakim helped launch a counter-attack by getting the better of the legendary LeBron James.
Yannick was shouting in delight as the move unfolded and apologised to the interviewer with a wide grin before his son won a foul.
He then stood up and applauded, cutting a proud father figure amid the back and forth drama that the NBA is so accustomed to.
Noah may have won the French Open 42 years ago, but his legacy at Roland Garros has been firmly established.
It was announced in 2023 that the tournament’s Kids’ Day was renamed Yannick Noah Day for the 40th anniversary of his title win.
The charity event, where players feature in exhibition matches, has kept the name ever since.
French Open winners since Yannick Noah
1984 – Ivan Lendl – Czechoslovakia
1985 – Mats Wilander – Sweden
1986 – Ivan Lendl – Czechoslovakia
1987 – Ivan Lendl – Czechoslovakia
1988 – Mats Wilander – Sweden
1989 – Michael Chang – United States
1990 – Andres Gomez – Ecuador
1991 – Jim Courier – United States
1992 – Jim Courier – United States
1993 – Sergi Bruguera – Spain
1994 – Sergi Bruguera – Spain
1995 – Thomas Muster – Austria
1996 – Yevgeny Kafelnikov – Russia
1997 – Gustavo Kuerten – Brazil
1998 – Carlos Moya – Spain
1999 – Andre Agassi – United States
2000 – Gustavo Kuerten – Brazil
2001 – Gustavo Kuerten – Brazil
2002 – Albert Costa – Spain
2003 – Juan Carlos Ferrero – Spain
2004 – Gaston Gaudio – Argentina
2005 – Rafael Nadal – Spain
2006 – Rafael Nadal – Spain
2007 – Rafael Nadal – Spain
2008 – Rafael Nadal – Spain
2009 – Roger Federer – Switzerland
2010 – Rafael Nadal – Spain
2011 – Rafael Nadal – Spain
2012 – Rafael Nadal – Spain
2013 – Rafael Nadal – Spain
2014 – Rafael Nadal – Spain
2015 – Stan Wawrinka – Switzerland
2016 – Novak Djokovic – Serbia
2017 – Rafael Nadal – Spain
2018 – Rafael Nadal – Spain
2019 – Rafael Nadal – Spain
2020 – Rafael Nadal – Spain
2021 – Novak Djokovic – Serbia
2022 – Rafael Nadal – Spain
2023 – Novak Djokovic – Serbia
2024 – Carlos Alcaraz – Spain
