Hon. Francois Godbout

Major Accomplishments

Founding member of the executive committee of the Quebec Sports Federation.
Served as president of the Quebec Tennis Federation for two years.
Member of the Board of Directors of Tennis Canada from 1980-1991, serving as president for two years.
A Top 10 player in Canada for 11 years and a Davis Cup team member for six years.

Biography

Francois Godbout was an ambassador of tennis in Quebec. He had a successful career in the sport for over 20 years. He represented Canada as a member of the Davis Cup team from 1959-1964 and 1969 although he didn’t win a Davis Cup match, he did have the opportunity to compete against the best of the best including Roy Emerson, Tony Roche, Rod Laver and John Newcombe.

“Participating in Davis Cup was the ambition of my life and that dream became a reality in 1959 when I faced the Australian Rod Laver,” said Godbout.

At the international level, Godbout defeated many top players like Dennis Ralston, Francois Jauffret, Bob Hewitt and Arthur Ashe. He was also ranked among the Top 10 players in Canada from 1959 to 1967.

Godbout was very involved in tennis in Quebec and throughout Canada. He was the president of the Quebec Tennis Association from 1969-1971 and the president of Tennis Canada from 1985-1987. He was a founding member of the executive committee of the Quebec Sports Federation.

Godbout was legal counsel of the organizing committee of the Montreal Olympics in 1976, and he was also a member of the executive board of the Canadian Olympic committee from 1978-1985.

As a senior player, Godbout was still active in the 55 and over age category and was on the Board of Directors of the Foundation of Friends of Tennis in Quebec. In 1988, he entered the Quebec Judicial Court and became a judge of the Court of Quebec, Youth Division.