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.
