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General First nameAntoine (Coco)
LastnameGentien
GenderMale
CountryFrance
Date of birth1905-06-13
Place of birthParis, France
Date of death1968-09-02
Place of deathParis, France


About

Born in Paris in June 1905, Antoine Gentien was the eldest of the two sons of Louis Paul Ernest Gentien (b. 1877), a property owner, and Antoinette Marie Jeanne Gentien (née Gillou; 1883-1949). His mother came from a family of wealthy industrialists and was herself a lawn tennis player, as was her sister Catherine Marie Blanche Gillou, known as Katie (1887-1964), who won the women’s singles title at the early French National Championships four times – in 1904, 1905, 1906 and 1908, the latter two years under her married name of Fenwick.

Their brother, Antoine Gentien’s uncle Pierre Émile Gillou (1880-1953), also took part in lawn tennis tournaments, but is today best remembered for having captained the legendary French Four Musketeers to most of their victories in the Davis Cup in late 1920s/early 1930s. Pierre Gillou was also a co-founder of the modern International Tennis Federation and served as president of the French Tennis Federation for several years.

Coming from such a background, it is not surprising that Antoine Gentien himself also became a lawn tennis player. As a youth he honed his game on the courts of the Racing Club de France in Paris. Although he was able to practice with some of the top French players as a teenager, including Max Decugis, André Gobert et William Laurentz, Gentien would never reach quite reach their heights. The success of the four French Musketeers – Jean Borotra, Jacques Brugnon, Henri Cochet and René Lacoste – from the mid-1920s to the early 1930s left Gentien and the other male French players in the shade.

Antoine Gentien was, nevertheless, a regular participant at lawn tennis tournaments from circa 1920 to 1939 and again from 1945 to 1950. One of his best performances came at the International French Championships in 1927, when he beat Jean Borotra in the fourth round, 6-2, 9-11, 6-0, 6-4, before losing in the quarter-final round in four sets against the South African Patrick Spence.

Antoine Gentien was a good friend of the great Suzanne Lenglen and they corresponded with each other for several years. In 1949, Gentien replaced his countryman Robert Gallay as secretary general of the International Tennis Federation and remained in that post until 1961. A writer and translator, Gentien’s memoirs were published in 1953 under the title Aventures d’un joueur de tennis/Adventures of a Tennis Player.

Antoine Gentien did not marry and died in his residence at 18 rue du Sergent Bauchat in Paris in September 1968. He was laid to rest in the family’s tomb in Passy graveyard in Paris.

Media


Archive statistics Career1920 - 1953
Tournament wins61
Matches579
Match wins372


Tournament wins 1939 - Mürren International Tournament (Amateur)
1938 - Bern Championships (Amateur)
1938 - Zürich Valsana (Amateur)
1938 - Klosters International (Amateur)
1938 - Bad Ragaz ()
1938 - Davos (Open)
1938 - Mürren International Tournament (Amateur)
1937 - Western India Championships (Amateur)
1937 - Davos (Open)
1937 - Klosters International (Amateur)
1937 - Bad Ragaz ()
1936 - Champéry (Amateur)
1936 - Davos (Open)
1936 - Bad Ragaz ()
1935 - Bad Ragaz ()
1935 - Cannes Carlton (Amateur)
1935 - Cannes Gallia (Amateur)
1934 - Geneva International Championship (Amateur)
1934 - Cannes Carlton (Amateur)
1933 - St. Moritz (Amateur)
1933 - Zürich Baur du Lac LTC (Amateur)
1933 - Engadine Championships (Amateur)
1933 - St. Moritz Suvretta (Amateur)
1932 - Geneva International Championship (Amateur)
1932 - Monte Carlo Summer Tournament (Amateur)
1932 - Geneva Covered Courts (Amateur)
1932 - Klosters International (Amateur)
1932 - Zürich Valsana (Amateur)
1931 - Geneva Covered Courts (Amateur)
1930-2 - Dinard (Amateur)
1930 - Vittel (Amateur)
1930 - Chantilly Spring (Amateur)
1930 - Swiss International Covered Courts (ATP)
1930 - Bordeaux Tournament (Amateur)
1930 - Belgium International Covered Championships (Amateur)
1930 - Hossegor (Amateur)
1930 - Dieppe (Amateur)
1930 - Deauville (Open)
1929 - Bordeaux Tournament (Amateur)
1929 - Dinard (Amateur)
1929 - Dieppe (Amateur)
1929 - Hossegor (Amateur)
1928 - Napoli (Open)
1927 - Stresa Campionato dei Laghi (Amateur)
1927 - Dinard (Amateur)
1927 - Vichy (Amateur)
1927 - La Baule (Amateur)
1927 - Wimbledon Plate (Consolation) (Open)
1927 - Bordeaux Tournament (Amateur)
1927 - Pourville (Amateur)
1926 - Le Havre (Amateur)
1925 - Biarritz (Amateur)
1925 - Le Havre (Amateur)
1925 - Marseille (Amateur)
1925 - Pourville (Amateur)
1925 - Vittel (Amateur)
1925 - Troyes (Amateur)
1924 - Vittel (Amateur)
1924 - Dinard (Amateur)
1923 - Dinard (Amateur)
1922 - Dinard (Amateur)


Tournaments Roland Garros - 1953 Roland Garros - 1951 Beaulieu - 1951 Cannes Championships - 1951 Menton - 1951 Valencia Open - 1951 Roland Garros - 1950 Cannes Carlton - 1950 Beaulieu Second Meeting - 1950 Davos - 1950 Flims - 1950 Roland Garros - 1949 Nice 2nd Meeting - 1949 Neuchâtel - 1949 Monte Carlo - 1948 Roland Garros - 1948 Nice - 1948 Gstaad - 1948 Monte Carlo - 1947 Roland Garros - 1947 Cannes Carlton - 1947 Lugano - 1947 Luzern - 1947 Monte Carlo - 1946 Roland Garros - 1946 Paris International Championships - 1946 South of France Championships - 1946 Swiss International Covered Courts - 1945 Tournoi de France - 1944 French Occupied Zone - 1944 Tournoi de France - 1943 French Occupied Zone - 1943 Barcelona International Christmas - 1943 The Great Roland-Garros-Tournament - 1943 Coupe de Noel - 1942 Tournoi de France - 1942 French Occupied Zone - 1942 Lausanne - 1942 Coupe Albert Canet - 1942 Tournoi de France - 1941 French Occupied Zone - 1941 Coupe Albert Canet - 1941 Wimbledon - 1939 Monte Carlo - 1939 Roland Garros - 1939 Nice - 1939 Cap d 'Antibes - 1939 Bad Ragaz - 1939 Mürren International Tournament - 1939 Roland Garros - 1938 Swiss International Championships - 1938 Nice - 1938 Venezia (Venice International Tournament) - 1938 Marseille - 1938 Bad Ragaz - 1938 International Club Matches - GBR - 1938 Swiss International Covered Courts - 1938 Davos - 1938 Klosters International - 1938 Engadine Championships - 1938 Bern Championships - 1938 Courbevoi - 1938 Zürich Valsana - 1938 Mürren International Tournament - 1938 Roland Garros - 1937 Geneva International Championship - 1937 St. Moritz - 1937 Paris International Championships - 1937 Western India Championships - 1937 Bad Ragaz - 1937 Luzern - 1937 International Club Matches - GBR - 1937 Swiss International Covered Courts - 1937 Davos - 1937 Klosters International - 1937 Asnieres Indoor - 1937 Wimbledon - 1936 Roland Garros - 1936 St. Moritz - 1936 Swiss International Championships - 1936 Paris International Championships - 1936 French Covered Court Championships - 1936 German International Covered Court Championships - 1936 Bad Ragaz - 1936 Champéry - 1936 International Club Matches - GBR - 1936 Scandinavian Championships - 1936 Swiss International Covered Courts - 1936 Davos - 1936 St. Moritz Covered Courts - 1936 Engadine Championships - 1936 Wimbledon - 1935 Roland Garros - 1935 St. Moritz - 1935 Swiss International Championships - 1935 Cannes Carlton - 1935 Coupe de Noel - 1935 Paris International Championships - 1935 Venezia (Venice International Tournament) - 1935 German International Covered Court Championships - 1935 Cannes Gallia - 1935 Merano - 1935 Zürich Baur du Lac LTC - 1935 Baden-Baden - 1935 Bad Ragaz - 1935 Eastern Mediterranean Championships - 1935 St. Moritz Covered Courts - 1935 Zurich Covered Courts - 1935 Engadine Championships - 1935 Wimbledon - 1934 Roland Garros - 1934 Geneva International Championship - 1934 Swiss International Championships - 1934 Cannes Carlton - 1934 Coupe de Noel - 1934 Paris International Championships - 1934 Capri - 1934 Venezia (Venice International Tournament) - 1934 South of France Championships - 1934 Lugano - 1934 Midland Counties Championships - 1934 Cannes Gallia - 1934 Zürich Baur du Lac LTC - 1934 Swiss International Covered Courts - 1934 Napoli - 1934 Geneva Covered Courts - 1934 Wimbledon - 1933 Roland Garros - 1933 St. Moritz - 1933 Swiss International Championships - 1933 Coupe de Noel - 1933 Merano - 1933 Zürich Baur du Lac LTC - 1933 Swiss International Covered Courts - 1933 Napoli - 1933 Villa d'Este - 1933 Eastern Mediterranean Championships - 1933 St. Moritz Suvretta - 1933 St. Moritz Covered Courts - 1933 Milano Indoors - 1933 Scottish Lowlands Championships - 1933 Zurich Covered Courts - 1933 R.C. Canottieri Roma - 1933 Engadine Championships - 1933 Wimbledon - 1932 Roland Garros - 1932 Geneva International Championship - 1932 Swiss International Championships - 1932 Paris International Championships - 1932 Venezia (Venice International Tournament) - 1932 US International Indoor Championships - 1932 Midland Counties Championships - 1932 Swiss International Covered Courts - 1932 Monte Carlo Summer Tournament - 1932 Klosters International - 1932 Geneva Covered Courts - 1932 Zürich Valsana - 1932 Wimbledon - 1931 Roland Garros - 1931 Geneva International Championship - 1931 Paris International Championships - 1931 British Hard Court Championships - 1931 Dinard - 1931 Swiss International Covered Courts - 1931 Monte Carlo Summer Tournament - 1931 Geneva Covered Courts - 1931 St. Moritz Covered Courts - 1931 Monte Carlo Easter Tournament - 1931 Zurich Covered Courts - 1931 Highbury - 1931 Dinard - 1930-2 Roland Garros - 1930 Coupe de Noel - 1930 Paris International Championships - 1930 German International Championships - 1930 Bordeaux Tournament - 1930 Dieppe - 1930 Deauville - 1930 Swiss International Covered Courts - 1930 Tournoi du TC Flandres - 1930 Vittel - 1930 Blau-Weiss Club - 1930 Belgium International Covered Championships - 1930 Hossegor - 1930 Amsterdam Indoor - 1930 Chantilly Spring - 1930 Wimbledon - 1929 Roland Garros - 1929 Paris International Championships - 1929 Bordeaux Tournament - 1929 Championships of Berlin - 1929 Dieppe - 1929 Dinard - 1929 Cannes New Courts Club - 1929 La Baule-les-Pins - 1929 Hossegor - 1929 La Baule - 1929 Wimbledon - 1928 Roland Garros - 1928 Bordeaux Tournament - 1928 Napoli - 1928 R.C. Canottieri Roma - 1928 Scheveningen - 1928 Wimbledon - 1927 Roland Garros - 1927 Austrian International Championships - 1927 French Covered Court Championships - 1927 Bordeaux Tournament - 1927 Dinard - 1927 Pourville - 1927 Wimbledon Plate (Consolation) - 1927 Villa d'Este - 1927 Vittel - 1927 Stresa Campionato dei Laghi - 1927 Stresa Campionato del Verbano - 1927 La Baule - 1927 Vichy - 1927 Roland Garros - 1926 Coupe de Noel - 1926 Paris International Championships - 1926 Le Havre - 1926 Oostende - 1926 Roland Garros - 1925 French Covered Court Championships - 1925 Barcelona International - 1925 Biarritz - 1925 Le Havre - 1925 Marseille - 1925 Pourville - 1925 Vittel - 1925 Coupe Albert Canet - 1925 French Closed Covered Court Championships - 1925 Coupe Chelli - 1925 La Bourbole - 1925 Troyes - 1925 Cannes Championships - 1924 Côte d'Azur Championships - 1924 Coupe de Noel - 1924 Cannes Métropole - 1924 Dinard - 1924 French National Championships - 1924 Vittel - 1924 French Closed Covered Court Championships - 1924 Mont-Dore - 1924 Wimbledon - 1923 Cannes Championships - 1923 Coupe de Noel - 1923 Paris International Championships - 1923 World Hardcourt Championships - 1923 Deauville - 1923 Dinard - 1923 Toulon - 1923 Vittel - 1923 Coupe Albert Canet - 1923 Critérium de France - 1923 Coupe de Noel - 1922 Paris International Championships - 1922 Dinard - 1922 Coupe Albert Canet - 1922 La Varenne - 1922 Criterium de France Indoor - 1922 Coupe de Noel - 1921 Paris International Championships - 1921 Dinard - 1921 Criterium de France Indoor - 1921 French Covered Court Championships - 1920