Francois Jauffret Honored with Davis Cup Award of Excellence
In recognition of his accomplished and dedicated Davis Cup history, France’s François Jauffret was honored with the Davis Cup Award of Excellence, presented jointly by the International Tennis Hall of Fame (ITHF) and the International Tennis Federation (ITF).
Jauffret was an integral member of the French team for more than three decades between 1964 and 1983. He competed in 35 ties on behalf of the French team, holding the record for most ties for the nation. Jauffret received the honor on court at the 2018 Davis Cup by BNP Paribas Final in Lille, France, where he was joined by many members of past and current French Davis Cup teams.
The ITF and the ITHF present the Davis Cup Award of Excellence at the final to an individual from the home team who has made a lasting impact on that nation's Davis Cup history and who represents the ideals and spirit of the Davis Cup competition.
ITF President David Haggerty remarked, "For François to have competed with such longevity and passion on behalf France for so many years demonstrates great dedication to both Davis Cup and to French tennis. On behalf of the ITF, we are so pleased to recognize his commitment and accomplishments and to pay tribute to a great French competitor.”
“It’s our pleasure to recognize an individual who was integral to building France’s rich Davis Cup history. François Jauffret consistently displayed a deep commitment to representing his country and to fostering a sense of teamwork. He embraced the spirt of Davis Cup through his career, and we are proud to partner with the ITF to pay tribute to Francois on this special weekend,” said International Tennis Hall of Fame CEO Todd Martin.
Among Jauffret’s record of 35 selections to the French Davis Cup team, he took part in several notable matches, including his defeat of Romania’s Ilie Năstase in 1974 and 1977 and victories over Italians Adriano Panatta and Corrado Barazzutti in the European semifinal in 1975.
Raised in a tennis family, with two brothers who also played competitively, Jauffret started playing at a young age and had a successful junior career. In Open Era competition, Jauffret won two singles titles and seven doubles titles. He was a semifinalist at Roland-Garros in 1966 and in 1974.
After retiring from competition, Jauffret remained highly engaged in the sport. From 1990 – 1995, Jauffret was the National Technical Director for the French Federation of Tennis. He is currently a member of the Executive Committee of the French Tennis Federation and has worked extensively on projects related to renovation and transformation of the Stade Roland-Garros.
Jauffret joins four countrymen as recipients of the Davis Cup Award of Excellence. Current team captain Yannick Noah was honored last year, Henri Leconte and Guy Forget were joint recipients in 2014, and Pierre Darmon was recognized with the award in 2002. Other past recipients of the annual honor have included Davis Cup legends such as Stan Smith of the United States, Guillermo Vilas of Argentina, and John Newcombe of Australia.
