TENNIS
Roland Garros trophy: what is it called? What is it made of? Why does Nadal own one?
Spanish star, Rafa Nadal, with 14 wins, is the only tennis player who owns this trophy.
The Roland Garros is one of the most prestigious tournaments on the planet. This tournament, which puts the top tennis players of the world through an incredibly tough test, is the second Grand Slam of the year, coming after the Australian Open. Despite the fact that he has not played this year through injury, Rafa Nadal is the king of the competition on French soil, winning 14 times. The most recent Roland Garros was won by Novak Djokovic, who beat Casper Ruud.
There are various details about the tournament that are curious and specific to the competition, one of which relates directly to the trophy, the prize for winning. Also known as the The Musketeers’ Cup, it is one of the most coveted awards in sport, given that the process of winning it is so demanding. Every year, plenty of tennis players dream of winning the trophy, one which certainly has an interesting history behind it.
Why is the Roland Garros trophy also called The Musketeers’ Cup?
The trophy is known as The Musketeers’ Cup in honour of the four Frenchmen that ended the US dominance in the Davis Cup in 1927. René Lacoste, Jean Borotra, Jacques Brugnon and Henri Cochet were the protagonists of the golden age of French tennis. The four tennis players win 6 consecutive editions of the Davis Cup between 1927 and 1932.
In total, they achieved 10 Roland Garros titles. This Grand Slam is Rafa Nadal’s as a result of his excellent performances over the years, with the Spaniard winning the tournament 14 times. Max Decugis and Björn Borg are next in the list with 8 and 6 wins, respectively.
What is the trophy made of?
The Roland Garros trophy is created from silver by the famous Mellerio dits Meller jeweller. Each year, a team of silversmiths spend over 50 hours turning a slab of silver into the Cup. The job of cutting and moulding the trophy is an incredibly extensive and precise task.
The mould takes care of the handles, that are in the form of swans. The trim of the trophy is made in the form of grapevines and the pattern is then put onto the trophy by the silversmith. Finally, they assemble the trophy and solder it. The trophy measures 21 centimetres high, 19cm wide and weighs 14 kilograms.
Why does Nadal own a Roland Garros trophy?
After conquering his tenth Musketeers’ Cup in 2017, the organisers of the tournament, with Guy Forget as director, decided to award Nadal an exact replica of the trophy: Nadal became the first ever tennis player to own the French cup, which was awarded by his uncle, Toni Nadal, in what was his last season as his coach.
Do the other winners not get to keep the trophy?
The winners of the Grand Slam pose with the trophy on the day of the final; on the next morning they have a photo session with the cup, but then they are only awarded a small replica of a few centimetres in height. Rafa was different: he kept his 10th Roland Garros for himself.