In 1983, Yannick Noah did the unexpected. He defied the odds and his #6 seeding to become the first Frenchman to win Roland-Garros in nearly 40 years since Marcel Bernard took the title in 1946.
If you’ve never seen the match — or even if you have — the French Tennis Federation has the match in its entirety available on YouTube. Perhaps what’s most striking is that, without the voice of a single commentator, the intensity and drama of the moment comes through so much more vividly.
In the 40 years that have since passed, no other Frenchman has been able to capture the title at Roland Garros. But the pure emotion of Noah’s victory over the teenager and defending champion Mats Wilander was enough to last a lifetime.
Here’s a look back at how the day unfolded.
Wilander walked out on the court with zero concerns
Embed from Getty Images“I didn't really have any thoughts that I wasn't going to win this match. Of course, you know there's always a chance. But it never entered my mind. I thought ‘whatever he does, I have an answer,’ and we're playing five sets,” Wilander later told Eurosport. “And I think that was my problem. I didn't have a solution until the problem arose. Yannick played differently, in front of 15,000 fans rooting for him. I did not have any solutions in the first hour and by the time I found them, it was too late.”
Noah found himself in a situation he couldn’t quite believe
“It was very strange playing this great final at home,” Noah recalled to Sports Illustrated. “I wanted to win so bad it didn't matter how I played, just so I won. But Mats let me play my game. I could stay on the baseline and come in when I wanted.”
Embed from Getty Images Embed from Getty Images Embed from Getty ImagesThe entire match was emotional, but nothing quite like the end
When Noah emerged victorious over Wilander 6–2, 7–5, 7–6(3), it was a massive emotional haze for the champion. Noah barely shook hands with his opponent before spectators flooded the court, as he searched for his father.
Embed from Getty Images Embed from Getty Images Embed from Getty Images Embed from Getty ImagesYannick Noah on why his 1983 Roland-Garros victory resonated with all of France
“Certain players of my generation and the generations that followed won many more titles than I did, but very few of them got the same level of love and support that I received,” Noah said in the French magazine Sport. “Why? The victory in itself only explains about 10 percent of why the French took me to their hearts. The rest, which is the essential thing, is that moment of union between a father and his son.” He added: “Normally, you don’t cry for joy in your father’s arms in public. For me, it happened in front of thousands of spectators and millions of viewers. The image of a tough athlete got submerged, and humanity took over.”
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