The France women's national tennis team represents France in international women's tennis and is directed by the Fédération Française de Tennis. The team played in the first ever tournament in 1963, and is one of four teams that has taken part in every single edition since.
While the France national team has not been one of the most successful in women's tennis, it has been very consistent over the years. Throughout the first ten years of competition, it never failed to reach the quarterfinals, and continued its good record through the early 1980s, accumulating a 63% win–loss percentage, reaching four semifinals, and winning the consolation rounds in 1982 despite being defeated in the first round of the main draw. The team experienced a slight downturn in the mid-to-late 1980s, winning only 40% of their ties from 1983 to 1989, but they returned to a successful form by reaching all but four semifinals from 1990 to 1999 and managing to win the 1997 edition, mainly thanks to their sizable contingent of top-twenty singles and doubles players the French had throughout that period in time. The triumphs continued through to the 2000s when, in addition to acquiring their first and so far only World No. 1 singles player, they claimed their second title in 2003 and reached two more finals in 2004 and 2005. These achievements were solidified when France became the second, and so far only one of five countries to reach the ITF No. 1 ranking in November 2003. However, the French team has experienced a relative decline in recent times, falling from the highest level of competition, the World Group, for the first time since initiation in 2011 and falling out of the ITF Top 15 the following year. However, France built their way back up to the World Group in the 2014 Fed Cup, and in 2016, the team reached their first final since 2005. Third world coronation arrives in 2019.
Former World No. 3 and 1998 Wimbledon finalist Nathalie Tauziat holds the record for most Fed Cup doubles wins and total wins by a French player, whilst also participating in more ties and more years for the French team than any other person. Amélie Mauresmo, France's first and so far only World No. 1 singles player, on the other hand, holds the record for most singles wins in Fed Cup by a Frenchwoman. Mauresmo is also the current captain of the French Fed Cup team, having taken over the position from former ATP Top 20 player Nicolas Escudé in 2012.
Current team Name DOB First Last Ties Win/Loss Ranks Sin Dou Tot Sin Dou 2010 2011 3 0–1 1–1 1–2221133 2008 2013 11 2–9 2–4 4–134492 2002 2012 2 1–0 1–1 2–110194 2013 2016 7 8–4 5–1 13–5253 2012 2017 11 4–6 9–2 13–8313 2010 2017 8 4–8 1–0 5–864223 2001 2012 13 9–3 5–4 14–7160205 2010 2011 2 2–2 0–0 2–2169
History
1963–1972: early consistency France participated in the inaugural Federation Cup competition in Queen's Club, London in 1963, when it was instituted as a way of celebrating the fiftieth anniversary of the ITF. Janine Lieffrig was the team's first captain and she participated also as a player alongside Françoise Dürr. Together, the two were considered the best upcoming women's tennis players in Europe at the time.
They were drawn against West Germany for their first ever tie. Dürr was defeated by 1961 Wimbledon mixed doubles finalist Edda Buding in straight sets, but Lieffrig managed to defeat Margot Dittmeyer in singles and Buding and Renate Ostermann in doubles alongside Dürr. This led to France advancing to the quarterfinals, where they were drawn against Lieffrig's future senior's tennis nation South Africa. The team was defeated cleanly by Margaret Hunt and 1959 Australian Championships finalist Renée Schuurman, failing to win a rubber.
Success for the team grew in the next two years. In 1964, Wimbledon player Jacqueline Rees-Lewis joined the team as a singles player, and together with Dürr and Lieffrig managed to easily defeat Switzerland, and then beat Netherlands and the Germans once again despite losses to future Wimbledon finalist Betty Stöve and future German Junior champion Heide Orth. However, the French were eventually stopped by Australia, the eventual winners, who were accompanied by multiple Grand Slam champions Margaret Smith and Lesley Turner. The following year, they suffered very similar fortunes. Dürr and Lieffrig easily defeated the Japanese, and won over Brazil despite the presence of World No. 1 Maria Bueno. They then lost once again to the Australians who were once again accompanied by Smith and Turner.
Success dropped slightly for the team in the next years, however. 1967 Australian Championships doubles finalist Évelyne Terras joined the team in 1966, but managed to only win two games in singles against Erzsébet Széll in France's 2–1 defeat of Hungary. Dürr and Lieffrig were then beaten in the next round by the eventual champions United States. Following this, Monique Bensusan-Hamelin replaced Lieffrig as captain, and Monique Salfati joined the team. However, they suffered their third straight defeat against the Australians in the quarterfinals after passing through due to the Poles withdrawing.
They then suffered similar fortunes in 1968, after Dürr left despite winning the French Championships in singles and doubles. The addition of 1968 Championnat de France de tennis féminin Rosy Darmon saw the team progress through their sixth consecutive quarterfinals, however, where they were defeated by the Americans again. Former Wimbledon player Jacqueline Kermina then took over as captain and successful doubles player Gail Benedetti joined the team for 1969, but were once again unable to defeat Benedetti's former country, Australia, in the quarterfinals.
By 1970, France's fortunes lifted. 1966 French Championships girls' singles champion Odile de Roubin and 1963 Championne de France Junior Christiane Spinoza came into the team, and together with Benedetti they defeated both the Japanese and the Italians, 2–1, before succumbing to West Germany. Dürr then rejoined the team in December 1970, having reached the Top 3 in singles, and No. 1 in doubles after winning several Grand Slam titles with Benedetti, while world-renowned player and promoter of tennis Philippe Chatrier took over from Kermina as captain. This new team led to France progressing past the final eight for the first time since 1965, before suffering their fifth straight defeat by Australia. The exact same team competed again in 1972, where they again enjoyed success winning five straight rubbers and allowing the team to reach their tenth consecutive quarterfinals, but they lost to home team South Africa, 1–2.
1973–1979: mixed fortunes The team rapidly changed for the 1973 tournament. Jacqueline Kermina returned to the captaincy, and Odile de Roubin came back as a player as Françoise Dürr and Gail Benedetti left. 1973 Championnat de France de tennis féminin Nathalie Fuchs and doubles player Florence Guédy also entered the team. They were drawn against the Netherlands for their first tie, and succumbed to their first ever first round defeat after the ambidextrous Marijke Schaar won her singles rubber over Fuchs and the doubles rubber over de Roubin and Guédy. As a result, France partook in their first ever consolation round matches. They easily passed through the quarterfinals after de Roubin and Guédy together won over Denmark and Brazil without losing a rubber, and Fuchs and de Roubin then managed to defeat the Irish to lead France to the semifinals. They also gathered a quick lead over Japan after Fuchs won over Australian Open semifinalist Kazuko Sawamatsu. However, they were soundly defeated in the next two rubbers, winning only three games thereafter.
In 1974 however, France returned to success, mainly due to the return of Benedetti to the team. In the first round, they gained revenge by defeating the Netherlands, with Benedetti defeating Schaar in three sets, and then went on to beat Austria to progress through to their eleventh quarterfinals. Although they soundly lost to the United States in their next match, the team's good results continued through 1975. Rosy Darmon returned to the team, and with her, France was able to easily beat Bulgaria and defeat Hungary despite losing a singles rubber to six-time Hungarian women's tennis champion Éva Szabó. This allowed them to once again play in their quarterfinals, where they achieved one of their best wins by defeating 1967, 1971 and 1972 finalists and many-time semifinalists Great Britain, with Fuchs managing to stun 1976 French Open champion Sue Barker in three sets and Benedetti and Darmon teaming up to defeat Glynis Coles and multiple Grand Slam doubles winner Virginia Wade in doubles. This allowed the team to reach their fourth semifinal, and become just the fifth team since initiation to reach four semifinals. Although they lost in their next round to Czechoslovakia, whose team was composed of future Grand Slam finalist Renáta Tomanová and the renowned Martina Navratilova, their performance would end up being one of the best for years.
1976 saw a sharp downturn for the team. Kermina left the captaincy for a second time, to be replaced by Philippe Duxin, and although the same team from 1975 was competing, they suffered their second first round defeat, only winning an average of four games per rubber at the hands of British players Barker and Wade. This led to the French playing in the consolation rounds once again. They initially suffered to a terrible draw with the Czechoslovaks in the first round, but gained a bye after the Eastern European team withdrew amidst the tense political situation of the time. They faced little resistance from Rhodesia or Brazil to pass through to the consolation final, but they eventually fell to Romanian multiple Grand Slam finalists Florența Mihai and Virginia Ruzici.
The team's performance picked up again slightly for the next three years. Kermina and Dürr returned to the team while part-time French No. 1 Frédérique Thibault made her debut with 1978 French Open semifinalist Brigitte Simon-Glinel in 1977. The team made an excellent start to the tournament, defeating Luxembourg and Greece in the first two ties whilst only dropping two and six games respectively, but they were beaten in the quarterfinals by the Americans. Duxin retook the captaincy for the next year, but otherwise the team remained unchanged and very similar results occurred. The team won over Sweden and Argentina in the first two rounds, mainly due to the singles performances of Benedetti and Dürr, but were beaten in the quarterfinals by the United States. For 1979 an entirely new captain, player and broadcaster Jean-Paul Loth, and Benedetti momentarily departed from the team. However, the team for a third consecutive year managed to reach the quarterfinals, but were defeated by the United States, who were on a sixteen-tie winning streak.
1980–1989: lack of success Françoise Dürr left the team for the final time in 1980, leaving the team in a rather weak state despite the re-addition of Benedetti; of the WTA in the Year-End 1979, Thibault was the highest-ranked at No. 75, while Simon was the only other player to compete in Fed Cup who was within the Top 100 (at No. 84). This lack of depth was shown in the French results, as the team suffered another first-round lost, this time to Sweden, sending them to another consolation tournament. They played well in the consolation rounds, managing to easily pass through Denmark and Belgium, who were accompanied by Australian Open quarterfinalist Michele Gurdal, but the streak did not last as they only narrowly defeated South Korea in the semifinals and were beaten soundly by Canada in the final.