You\u2019ll often hear the tournament referred to by its other name, Roland Garros, and some fans might be wondering exactly who it is named after.<\/p>\n
Read on for everything you need to know.<\/p>\n
- Watch the French Open with a Eurosport and Amazon Prime Video free trial<\/a><\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>
Who is Roland Garros?<\/strong><\/h2>\n
You might be assuming that Roland Garros is a former tennis player \u2013 or at least somebody with strong links to the sport \u2013 but while he was reportedly a fan of the game, his success came in a different field entirely.<\/p>\n
In actual fact, Garros was an aviation pioneer who was known for performing many early feats before becoming one of the earliest fighter pilots in World War I.<\/p>
He was born in Saint-Denis de la R\u00e9union in 1888 and began experimenting with aviation at the age of just 21, after he had graduated from the HEC business school and founded his own car dealership.<\/p>\n
His first experience with planes came when he attended an air show in the Champagne region while visiting a friend, and he was instantly enamoured \u2013 buying his own plane and obtaining his pilot\u2019s licence very soon afterwards.<\/p>\n
![\"""\"]( "\\"\"\"\\"\/")
<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div> STAFF\/AFP via Getty Images<\/i> <\/span>\n<\/div>\nHe broke his first altitude record (reaching 3,910 meters) two years later in 1911, and took part in a series of air shows and races, with word quickly spreading around the world of his incredible skill.<\/p>\n
As his fame grew, he decided he wanted to set himself another challenge and began plans to make a daring flight across the Mediterranean \u2013 a first at the time.<\/p>\n
He achieved his goal in 1913, flying from Saint-Rapha\u00ebl (French Riviera) to Bizerte (Tunisia) on his Morane-Saulnier monoplane in eight hours, and winning even more admirers in the process \u2013 including the revered poet and filmmaker Jean Cocteau.<\/p>\n
After signing up for armed service at the outbreak of World War 1, Garros helped develop the first single-seater fighter plane equipped with an onboard machine gun that fired through the propeller, which he then flew himself in battle.<\/p>\n
As a sub-lieutenant, Garros managed three victories in the space of a fortnight in April 1915 but was then taken prisoner along with his plane, with the enemy subsequently using his ideas for their own aircraft.<\/p>\n
Garros remained imprisoned for the next three years, and although he was eventually able to escape \u2013 disguised as a German officer \u2013 his return to the front proved fatal, as he was killed in action on 5th October 1918, just a day before his 30th birthday and a little more than a month before the armistice.<\/p>\n
Read more about the French Open 2022 schedule<\/a> \u2013to watch the tournament live and on-demand, sign up for discovery+<\/a>\u00a0for just\u00a0\u00a36.99 per month<\/a>\u00a0or\u00a0\u00a359.99 annually<\/a>. Eurosport<\/a>\u00a0will also be showing the biggest matches live on their TV channels and digital platforms including through\u00a0Amazon Prime Video<\/a>.<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n
If you\u2019re looking for something else to watch, check out our\u00a0<\/b>TV Guid<\/b>e<\/strong><\/span><\/a> or visit our Sport<\/a> hub.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n
The latest issue of Radio Times magazine is on sale now \u2013\u00a0subscribe now<\/a>\u00a0and get the next 12 issues for only \u00a31. For more from the biggest stars in TV, listen to the\u00a0Radio Times podcast<\/a>\u00a0with Jane Garvey.<\/strong><\/p><\/body><\/html>\n
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