On Saturday, December 11th, 2021 the world learned that Manuel “Manolo” Santana has passed away at the age of 83 – years – old. Santana had reached the number 1 spot in the world tennis rankings, and he was the first Spaniard to win a men’s Grand Slam singles title. The announcement of his death was made public at the Madrid Open on Saturday, December 11th, 2021 as they honored this great tennis player. There was no cause of death provided at the moment.
Santana has won 4 – major singles championships including the French Championships in 1961 as well as1964, the U.S. Championships in 1965, and Wimbledon in 1966 which happens to be the same year he reached the # 1 world ranking. He eventually completed his legacy by winning the 1963 French doubles with Roy Emerson. Santana was deservingly inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame back in 1984.
Billie Jean King emotionally remembered winning her 1st – Wimbledon title alongside Santana’s victory there way back in the year of 1966. Not like his Davis Cup teammate, Andres Gimeno, Santana turned down offers to turn professional, and he became one of the largest names on the “shamateur” tour of the much different then, 1960s.
Santana defeated the best three tennis players to win the 1961 French title. Roy Emerson, ranked number 3, was downed in the quarterfinals, and number 2, Rod Laver, was beat by Santana in 5 – set semifinal, where Santana won the final 11 – games. During the final versus the defending 2 – time champion and number 1 – ranked, Nicola Pietrangeli, Santana was down on sets 2 to 1, but he won the last sets 6 to 0 and 6 to 2. Santana cried for an hour afterward.
Manuel beat Pietrangeli again during the 1964 finals for his 2nd – French Open championship, and then Santana focused mostly on grass courts. Santana had to defeat only 2 – seeds in order to win the 1965 U.S. Open title at Forest Hills, the final in 4 – sets over Cliff Drysdale. Manuel became the 1st– European – born male to win the U.S. Open title since the year of 1928.
Santana dropped out of the French championships in 1966 to spend his attention focusing on the major tournament called – Wimbledon. Manuel had big – time nerves yet he won over Ken Fletcher as well Owen Davidson to meet the 1st – seed in the finals where he defeated Dennis Ralston in consecutive sets to become the 1st – men’s champion at Wimbledon from Spain. Santana said Wimbledon was the best of his 4 – Grand Slam singles wins.
Santana did not win the Davis Cup across 3 – decades of time, but he led Spain to their first – 2 finals in 1965 and 1967 even though he lost both of those tournaments to the host nation of Australia.
A declaration of his own devotion was in the year of 1968 when he faced the United States of America in Cleveland, Ohio. The U. S. had previously won the tie, yet Santana as well as Arthur Ashe turned the dead 5th – rubber into a classic match. Santana won sets of 13 to 11 as well as 15 to 13 but eventually lost in 5.
After Santana made his Davis Cup debut at the age of 19, he still holds Spain’s national records for the most ties with 46, the most wins in singles with 69, and doubles with 23.
Media Statements
“It’s difficult for a genius to be rewarded in tennis and Manolo was one of those few who could,” Gene Scott stated during Manuel Santana’s Hall of Fame induction ceremony when he spoke on Santana’s behalf. “He literally invented one of the strokes that we now see in profusion — the backhand topspin lob.”
Rafael Nadal joined in on the flood of condolences that reached all of the social media platforms by saying (writing in Spanish that), “We will all miss you Manolo.”
“You will always be one of a kind and special,” Nadal goes on to say. “As I have said many times in the past: a thousand thanks for what you did for our country and for opening the way for others. You were always my role model, a friend and someone who was close to all of us.”
“You were always our reference point, for everyone in Spanish tennis, a pioneer,” the 2 – time Grand Slam winner, Garbiñe Muguruza, proclaimed. “So close and so attentive, in the good and bad times. We will miss you. All my love for your family and loved ones.”
Spain’s king as well as their prime minister reinstated the sentiments of Nadal by saying that Santana is a “legend.”
King Felipe VI tweeted, “There are people who become legends and make a country great. Manolo Santana was and will always be one of them.”
Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez had this to say, “He won Roland Garros, the U.S. Open and Wimbledon, a total of 72 tournaments and an Olympic gold to make him a tennis legend and one of the best athletes our country has seen.”
“We danced the 1st – dance at the Ball,” Billie Jean King tweeted.
“This is the one all the players want to win,” say Santana who was quoted on the International Tennis Hall of Fame site. “I am very happy I did it once.”
Sources:
The Associated Press News Services. “Manuel Santana, Spanish tennis trailblazer, dies at 83”. The Associated Press. December 11, 2021.
