Noah to return as France's Davis Cup team captain

Yannick Noah has been appointed as France's Davis Cup captain for the third time after having been away from the competition for 17 years, said the French Tennis Federation.

"On proposal of French Tennis Federation president Jean Gachassin and national technical director Arnaud Di Pasquale, the federal office of the FFT today named Yannick Noah as captain of the France team for the Davis Cup 2016 campaign," read a statement on FFT's website on Monday, Xinhua reported.

Noah, 55, who was the last Frenchman to win Roland Garros in 1983, takes over from Arnaud Clement who was sacked last week.

France's 3-1 loss to Britain in the quarterfinals this summer and the growing tension between Clement and the players were reckoned key factors in the latter's stepping down.

Noah's two previous stints in charge were from 1991 to 1992 and then again between 1995 and 1998, during which he finished with a win-loss record of 12-4.

The iconic Frenchman, who is also a successful singer, led France to two Davis Cup titles in 1991 and 1996. France has finished runners-up three times since then - in 2002, 2010 and in 2014.