Centering the ball, finding the admirable mastery in the baseline game that makes him a champion. Never let go of your prey. Hit hard, "slap". It was in Forest Hills, during the American Championship final in 1927, that René Lacoste demonstrated that he was the best player in the world. Other successes came, Wimbledon in 1928, Roland Garros in 1929.

Confidence, tenacity, perseverance, rigor. With such weapons, everyone can build their life. René Lacoste

Tennis legend, passionate engineer, creator of an international brand, the "crocodile" has imposed a style, the polo shirt becoming a flagship piece of men's dressing.

On the occasion of the 85th anniversary of the Lacoste house, Laurence Benaïm looks back on the life of this iconic and visionary figure in a book largely illustrated with photos and unpublished documents, with illustrations by the artist Floc'h.

The author

Journalist, writer, biographer of Yves Saint Laurent, Marie-Laure de Noailles, Jean Michel Frank (Grasset), Laurence Benaïm has published numerous works related to the history of style and fashion.

Illustrator

Floc'h, a major illustration artist, puts his talent at the service of cinema, advertising, the press and also publishing. He is the author of numerous comics in collaboration with François Rivière, albums for young people and beautiful books.