Country (sports) France Role Tennis player Turned pro 1948 Name Yvon Petra Retired 1955 | French Open SF (1946) Grand slams won (singles) 1 Career record 19–4 Height 1.96 m | |
 | ||
Full name Yvon Francois Marie Petra Plays Right-handed (one-handed backhand) Highest ranking No. 4 (1946, A. Wallis Myers) Died September 12, 1984, Paris, France Similar People Marcel Bernard, Bernard Destremau, Simonne Mathieu | ||
Yvon Petra ([ivɔ̃ petʁa]; 8 March 1916 – 12 September 1984) was a French male tennis player. He was born in Cholon, French Indochina. He is best remembered as the last Frenchman to win the Wimbledon championships men's singles title (in 1946), beating Geoff Brown in five sets in the final. In doubles he won the French championships twice, in 1938 with Bernard Destremau, defeating the best pair in the world Budge-Mako, and in 1946 with Marcel Bernard. In 1938 he won the singles and doubles title at the French Covered Court Championships. He was a prisoner of war in World War II and after his release won three French national titles from 1943 through 1945. He emigrated to the United States and worked as a tennis pro at the Saddle and Cycle Club in Chicago and a country club in Connecticut towards the end of his life. Petra was ranked World No. 4 for 1946 by A. Wallis Myers and World No. 8 for 1947 by Harry Hopman. He was the last man to wear long trousers in a Wimbledon final and was the last Frenchman to win the singles title.
Petra joined the tour of professional players in 1948. He was inducted into International Tennis Hall of Fame in 2016.