4 tennis legends who never won the French Open ft. Pete Sampras, Stefan Edberg

Several of the most iconic players in tennis have amassed a series of titles, set several records and yet, were unable entirely to win the title on the slow red clay courts at Roland Garros. Each of them has been a World No. 1 but been unable to win the title here.

We profile the five greatest tennis players to have never won the French Open:

John McEnroe

Known as much for his heated temper as he is for his immense tennis successes, the American former World No. 1 ended his career with seven grand slam titles.

Most successful on the hard courts of the US Open, McEnroe has one of the highest success rates in the Open Era – and although he reached the finals of the slam in 1984, he remained unable to win the title.

The year he reached the finals at Roland-Garros, most would have expected it to be McEnroe’s title to lose; he was on a 43-match winning streak and, up against clay court master Ivan Lendl in the finals, had managed to rout the Czech in the first two sets of the title match.

Unfortunately for McEnroe, it was his temper that would eventually be his downfall. After a line call did not go his way, the American lost concentration, successively losing the subsequent three sets as Lendl took his first of three French Open wins.

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