Boston, 1923. Nineteen-year-old tennis prodigy René Lacoste loves a good challenge. His team captain, aware of this determination, promises him the beautiful crocodile-skin suitcase he’s had his eye on if he wins the tough match ahead. Although René Lacoste didn’t win, he put on quite a performance and impressed an American journalist, who, fascinated by the story and the young man’s tenacity, nicknamed him “the crocodile.” The logo took shape in 1927, thanks to designer Robert George. A pioneer in customisation, René Lacoste immediately had it embroidered on his blazers. A few years later, the polo shirt was born. The crocodile at its heart made Lacoste the first brand to display a visible logo on a garment. Now a style icon, the polo shirt has been adapted in a myriad of ways over the decades. But it remains king on the clay courts of Roland Garros. Worn by some of the world’s greatest players, it is advancing through the Porte d’Auteuil on conquered ground.