French Open: The British winners

A brief look at the modern history of the French Open makes for difficult reading for British tennis aficionados, but leaf further back through the annals and a proud heritage soon appears.

Thirty-two titles have been carried back over the Channel in the 124 years the tournament has been in existence and although the last of those were Sue Barker’s women’s singles triumph in 1976 and John Lloyd's mixed doubles victory in 1982, prior to that Britain enjoyed purple patches in the 1930s, 1950s and 1960s.

Britain actually won the inaugural men’s singles title all the way back in 1891, when H Briggs (his Christian name is unknown) defeated P Baigneres (name again unknown) 6-3 6-2, and the great Fred Perry followed that up by winning in 1935.

That was the last British men’s singles winner, but what the gents lacked, the ladies more than made up for.

Margaret Scriven Vivian won back-to-back titles in 1933 and 1934, before Angela Mortimer Barrett, Shirley Bloomer Brasher, Christine Truman Janes and Ann Haydon Jones handed Britain four women’s singles title in seven years in a golden era from 1955 to 1961.

Haydon Jones returned to win her second and Britain’s ninth singles title in 1966, but it would be 10 more years before Barker delivered another singles victory.

However, the Union Jack still flew over Roland Garros in the intervening years courtesy of doubles titles, although once again, it was the women who earned the honours.

Perry and Pat Hughes won the men’s doubles in 1933, yet their lone victory paled in comparison to the 12 women’s doubles titles won between 1928 and 1973.

There has also been consierable success in the mixed doubles, with Lloyd's triumph alongside Australia's Wendy Turnbull being preceded by eight other British wins, six of which came in quickfire succession 1928-1936 at a time in which Britain were among the kings and queens of clay.

British winners at the French Open

Men’s singles 

1891: H Briggs

1935: Fred Perry

Women’s singles 

1933: Margaret Scriven Vivian

1934: Margaret Scriven Vivian

1955: Angela Mortimer Barrett

1957: Shirley Bloomer Brasher

1959: Christine Truman Janes

1961: Ann Haydon Jones

1966: Ann Haydon Jones

*Start of the Open era

1976: Sue Barker

Men’s doubles

1933: Pat Hughes and Fred Perry

Women’s doubles

1928: Phoebe Holcroft Watson and Eileen Bennett Whittingstall

1931: Eileen Bennett Whittingstall and Betty Nuthall Shoemaker

1935: Margaret Scriven Vivian and Kay Stammers

1936: Billie Yorke and France’s Simonne Mathieu

1937: Billie Yorke and France’s Simonne Mathieu

1938: Billie Yorke and France’s Simonne Mathieu

1956: Angela Buxton and USA’s Althea Gibson

1957: Shirley Bloomer Brasher and USA’s Darlene Hard

1963: Ann Haydon Jones and SA’s Renee Schuurman Haygarth

1968: Ann Haydon Jones and France’s Francoise Durr

1969: Ann Haydon Jones and France’s Francoise Durr

1973: Virginia Wade and Australia’s Margaret Court

Mixed doubles

1928: Eileen Bennett and France's Henri Cochet

1929: Eileen Bennett and France's Henri Cochet

1931: Betty Nuthall Shoemaker and South Africa's Pat Spence

1932: Betty Nuthall and Fred Perry

1933: Margaret Scriven Vivian and Australia's Jack Crawford

1936: Billie Yorke and France's Marcel Bernard

1958: Shirley Bloomer Brasher and Italy's Nicola Pietrangeli

1959: William Knight and Mexico's Yola Ramirez Ochoa

1982: John Lloyd and Australia's Wemdy Turnbull