Coupe des Mousquetaires

La Coupe des Mousquetaires (English: The Musketeers' Trophy) is the trophy awarded to the winner of the Men's Singles competition at the French Open.

The trophy was created in its current form in 1981, after Philippe Chatrier, then president of the Fédération Française de Tennis (FFT), offered jewellers in Paris the opportunity to redesign it.^[1] It is supposed to symbolise the victories of four famous French tennis players, who together make up the "Four Musketeers" : Jacques Brugnon, Jean Borotra, Henri Cochet and René Lacoste.

The design eventually chosen was that of the family jeweller Mellerio. The trophy has a wide aperture, bordered with vine leaves and decorated with two swan-shaped handles.

The trophy is housed in the office of the president of the FFT, and is only removed once every year when the Men's Singles winner at the French open is announced. The winner does not get to keep the actual trophy; a new replica is produced every year.^[1] The replica, which is always slightly smaller than the original, is made from a sheet of solid silver, and takes over one hundred hours' to complete.^[1]

The trophy weighs around 14kg, is 21cm high and 19cm wide.^[1]

The female equivalent of La Coupe des Mousquetaires, awarded to the winner of the Women's Singles competition, is the Coupe Suzanne Lenglen.

Notes and references

1. ^ ^{a b c d} "More information on the Coupe des Mousquetaires". http://www.mellerio.fr/mellerio.php?page=gb_mellerio&id_rubrique=26&id_article=75. Retrieved 2009-06-07.