The French Open is named after a French aviator and World War I fighter pilot, not a tennis player.
Roland Garros set aviation records, including the first solo flight across the Mediterranean in 1913. He also contributed to aerial combat innovation by developing a system to fire machine guns through propeller blades. He was killed in action in 1918.
In 1928, Stade Français president Emile Lesueur proposed naming Paris's new tennis stadium after his former classmate Garros, reflecting his status as a national hero.