Luis Ayala (tennis) facts for kids
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Ayala in 1956
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| Full name | Luis Alberto Ayala |
|---|---|
| Country (sports) |  Chile |
| Residence | United States |
| Born | 18 September 1932 Santiago, Chile |
| Died | 4 September 2024 (aged 91) |
| Height | 1.70 m (5 ft 7 in) |
| Turned pro | 1961 (amateur from 1950) |
| Retired | 1970 |
| Plays | Right-handed (one-handed backhand) |
| Singles | |
| Career record | 626–353 (63.9%) |
| Career titles | 43 |
| Highest ranking | No. 5 (1958, Lance Tingay) |
| Grand Slam singles results | |
| French Open | F (1958, 1960) |
| Wimbledon | QF (1959, 1960, 1961) |
| US Open | QF (1957, 1959) |
| Professional majors | |
| US Pro | QF (1965, 1966, 1967) |
| Wembley Pro | 1R (1961, 1962, 1963, 1964, 1965) |
| French Pro | QF (1961, 1965) |
| Doubles | |
| Grand Slam doubles results | |
| French Open | 1R (1969) |
| Wimbledon | 1R (1968, 1969) |
| US Open | 2R (1968, 1969, 1970) |
| Mixed doubles | |
| Grand Slam mixed doubles results | |
| French Open | W (1956) |
| Wimbledon | SF (1957) |
Luis Alberto Ayala Salinas (born September 18, 1932 – died September 4, 2024) was a famous tennis player from Chile. He competed in tennis during the 1950s and 1960s.
Contents
Luis Ayala's Early Tennis Career
Luis Ayala was a very talented tennis player. He reached the finals of the French Championships two times in singles. This is one of the biggest tennis tournaments in the world!
French Championships Success
In 1958, Ayala was the fifth-ranked player. He made it to the final by beating Ashley Cooper. Cooper was the world's number one player at the time. Even though Ayala played great, he lost the final match to Mervyn Rose.
Two years later, in 1960, Ayala reached the French Championships final again. This time, he played a long, five-set match against Nicola Pietrangeli. Ayala lost this match, but it was a very close game.
Ayala also won a major title at the French Championships. In 1956, he won the mixed doubles title. He played with his partner, Thelma Coyne Long.
Winning Gold at the Pan American Games
In 1959, Luis Ayala won a gold medal. He achieved this at the 1959 Pan American Games in Chicago. He won the singles title by beating Robert Bédard from Canada in the final match.
Italian Open and Other Titles
Ayala also won the important Italian Open in 1959. He beat Nicola Pietrangeli in the semifinals. Then, he defeated Neale Fraser in the final. Both matches were tough, going four sets.
The next year, he made it to the Italian Open final again. However, he lost to Barry MacKay in a five-set match.
Luis Ayala won the Argentina International Tennis Championships three times. He won in 1955, 1957, and 1960. In 1960, he beat Manuel Santana in the final. He also won the Madrid Championships in 1960 and the Hanover Championships in 1961.
Luis Ayala's Professional Career
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In 1961, Luis Ayala decided to become a professional tennis player. He joined a special tennis tour run by Jack Kramer. In 1964, he won the La Baule Professional Championships. This tournament was played on clay courts. He beat famous players like Rod Laver and Lew Hoad to win the title.
After he stopped playing professionally, Ayala became a tennis coach. He worked at the River Oaks Country Club in Houston, Texas. Later, he became the director of tennis at the Forest Club, also in Houston.
Playing for Chile in the Davis Cup
Luis Ayala proudly represented his home country, Chile, in the Davis Cup. This is a big international team competition in tennis. He played for Chile from 1952 to 1960.
He played in 18 different team matches. He won 37 matches and lost only 14. His best performance was in 1955. Chile reached the semifinals of the Europe Zone. Even though Chile lost to Sweden, Ayala won both of his singles matches. He beat Lennart Bergelin and Sven Davidson.
Luis Ayala's Tennis Rankings
Luis Ayala was considered one of the best tennis players in the world. Experts like Ned Potter and Lance Tingay consistently ranked him among the top ten players from 1956 to 1961.
In 1958, The Daily Telegraph ranked him as the world's number 5 player. He was also ranked number 6 in 1959, and number 7 in both 1960 and 1961.
Grand Slam Finals Overview
Luis Ayala played in several Grand Slam finals. These are the four most important tennis tournaments each year.
Singles Finals (2 Runner-Up Finishes)
Ayala reached the singles final at the French Championships twice. He finished as the runner-up both times.
| Result | Year | Championship | Surface | Opponent | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Loss | 1958 | French Championships | Clay |  Mervyn Rose |
3–6, 4–6, 4–6 |
| Loss | 1960 | French Championships | Clay |  Nicola Pietrangeli |
6–3, 3–6, 4–6, 6–4, 3–6 |
Mixed Doubles Finals (1 Title, 1 Runner-Up)
Ayala also played in mixed doubles finals, winning one title.
| Result | Year | Championship | Surface | Partner | Opponents | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Loss | 1955 | French Championships | Clay | Jenny Staley Hoad |
 Darlene Hard Gordon Forbes |
7–5, 1–6, 2–6 |
| Win | 1956 | French Championships | Clay | Thelma Coyne Long |
Doris Hart Bob Howe |
4–6, 6–4, 6–1 |
Death
Luis Ayala passed away on September 4, 2024. He was 91 years old. His 92nd birthday would have been just fourteen days later.
See also
In Spanish: Luis Ayala para niños
