The Open Era

Arnaud Boetsch

France · born Meulan, 1969 · right-handed · Rosmalen champion 1993 and twice a Davis Cup winner

Arnaud Boetsch
Wikigo, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

12

Career-high ATP singles ranking, April 1996

3

ATP singles titles, the first of them on grass

2

Davis Cup titles with France, 1991 and 1996

4R

Best Wimbledon result, 1992

10-8

The fifth set that won France the 1996 Davis Cup

Playing career

Arnaud Boetsch was born in Meulan in 1969. He was one of the best under-16 players in the world, won the Orange Bowl in 1985 and turned professional in 1987. He entered the top 100 in 1991, reached his first tour final in Berlin that year and won his first title on the grass at Rosmalen in June 1993.

Known for his one-handed backhand, he reached the fourth round at each of the four majors, won three ATP singles titles and two in doubles, and rose to No. 12 in April 1996. He played singles and doubles at the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta. He was a member of the French teams that won the Davis Cup in 1991 and 1996, and in the 1996 final in Malmö he won the deciding rubber against Nicklas Kulti 10-8 in the fifth set.

He retired in 1999 and worked as a television commentator, later becoming communications director for Rolex.

On grass

Rosmalen 1993First ATP title, beating Wally Masur 3-6, 6-3, 6-3 in the final
Wimbledon 1993The following week beat seventh seed Ivan Lendl 4-6, 7-5, 6-3, 6-4 in the second round, then lost a five-set rematch with Masur, 6-3, 6-4, 6-7, 6-7, 6-4
Wimbledon 1992Reached the fourth round, his best result there, after beating 11th seed Richard Krajicek 4-6, 7-6, 3-6, 7-6, 6-2 in the third

Every grass title: 1

Show every title, tournament by tournament
's-Hertogenbosch (Rosmalen)
1993 Men's singles Rosmalen Grass Court Championships

Leading grass titles only: the grass majors, tour-level grass events since 1968 and the leading grass championships before 1968. † single source; ‡ sources disagree. Roll of champions

"bringing back the last point was my mission."

Boetsch on the 1996 Davis Cup final, speaking to Reuters in 2010, quoted by Tennis Majors

Anecdotes

The person behind the player.

Miami, 1985

Orange Bowl champion

As a junior Boetsch was among the world's best under-16 players. He won the Orange Bowl in 1985 and was given a wild card into Wimbledon qualifying that year.

Source: Tennis Majors

Malmö, December 1996

Three match points down

With the final against Sweden level at 2-2, Boetsch, who had lost his first singles to Thomas Enqvist, faced Nicklas Kulti in the deciding rubber. At 6-7, 0-40 in the fifth set he saved three match points in a row, broke for 9-8 and won 7-6, 2-6, 4-6, 7-6, 10-8 at 10.56 p.m. It was the first Davis Cup final decided in the fifth set of the fifth rubber.

Source: Tennis Majors

Malmö, 1996

Better than Hitchcock

The two singles that Sunday lasted 9 hours and 13 minutes. The Swedish captain, Axel Hageskog, said: "Alfred Hitchcock would not have done better." Boetsch recalled not knowing until 2-2 whom he would play, because Stefan Edberg was injured: "At 2-2 on Sunday, I don't know who I'm going to play."

Source: Tennis Majors

After tennis

Commentator and Rolex

After retiring in 1999 Boetsch worked as a sports commentator and later became communications director for Rolex.

Source: Tennis Majors

Explore

Where they won on grass

Rivals and partners

Elsewhere online

Sources

Page updated 4 November 2026. Spotted an error? Send a correction.

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