Manuel Orantes facts for kids
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| Country (sports) |  Spain |
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| Residence | Barcelona, Spain | ||||||||||||||||
| Born | 6 February 1949 Granada, Spain |
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| Height | 1.78 m (5 ft 10 in) | ||||||||||||||||
| Turned pro | 1968 (amateur from 1964) | ||||||||||||||||
| Retired | 1983 | ||||||||||||||||
| Plays | Left-handed (one-handed backhand) | ||||||||||||||||
| Prize money | $1,398,303 | ||||||||||||||||
| Int. Tennis HoF | 2012 (member page) | ||||||||||||||||
| Singles | |||||||||||||||||
| Career record | 722–292 (71.2%) in pre Open-Era & Open Era | ||||||||||||||||
| Career titles | 36 | ||||||||||||||||
| Highest ranking | No. 2 (23 August 1973) | ||||||||||||||||
| Grand Slam singles results | |||||||||||||||||
| Australian Open | QF (1968) | ||||||||||||||||
| French Open | F (1974) | ||||||||||||||||
| Wimbledon | SF (1972) | ||||||||||||||||
| US Open | W (1975) | ||||||||||||||||
| Other tournaments | |||||||||||||||||
| Tour Finals | W (1976) | ||||||||||||||||
| Olympic Games | F (1968, demonstration) | ||||||||||||||||
| Doubles | |||||||||||||||||
| Career record | 298–155 | ||||||||||||||||
| Career titles | 23 | ||||||||||||||||
| Highest ranking | No.1 1975 | ||||||||||||||||
| Grand Slam doubles results | |||||||||||||||||
| Australian Open | SF (1968) | ||||||||||||||||
| French Open | F (1978) | ||||||||||||||||
| Wimbledon | QF (1972) | ||||||||||||||||
| US Open | 3R (1975) | ||||||||||||||||
| Team competitions | |||||||||||||||||
| Davis Cup | F (1967Ch, 1970) | ||||||||||||||||
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Medal record
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Manuel Orantes Corral, born on February 6, 1949, is a famous former professional tennis player from Spain. He is best known for winning the US Open men's singles title in 1975. In that exciting final, he defeated the reigning champion, Jimmy Connors. Manuel Orantes also reached a very high ranking in tennis, becoming the world's No. 2 player.
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Tennis Career Highlights
Manuel Orantes had a very successful career in tennis. He won many tournaments and played in important matches.
Winning the US Open
On September 7, 1975, Manuel Orantes won his biggest title, the US Open. This major tournament was held in Forest Hills, New York. He beat the top-ranked player, Jimmy Connors, in the final match. This was Orantes's only Grand Slam title, which is one of the four most important tournaments in tennis.
French Open Final
A year before his US Open win, in 1974, Orantes played in another Grand Slam final. He reached the final of the French Open, which is played on clay courts. He played against the legendary Björn Borg. Orantes started strong, winning the first two sets. However, Borg made an amazing comeback, winning the next three sets and the title.
Other Big Wins
Manuel Orantes won a total of 36 singles titles during his career. Some of his notable wins include:
- The Rome tournament in 1972.
- The Hamburg tournament in 1972 and 1975.
- The Canada tournament in 1975.
- The Monte Carlo tournament in 1975.
- The Masters tournament in 1976.
He also reached the finals of many other big tournaments, showing how consistently good he was.
Playing for Spain
Orantes was a key player for the Spanish Davis Cup team for many years, from 1967 to 1980. The Davis Cup is a major international team competition in men's tennis. He had a great record in these matches. He was also part of the Spanish team that won the first-ever World Team Cup in 1978.
Doubles Success
Besides singles, Manuel Orantes was also a strong doubles player. He won 22 doubles titles during his career. He reached the doubles final of the French Open in 1978.
Grand Slam Finals
Grand Slam tournaments are the most important events in tennis. Manuel Orantes played in two Grand Slam singles finals.
Singles Finals (1 Win, 1 Loss)
| Result | Year | Championship | Surface | Opponent | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Loss | 1974 | French Open | Clay |  Björn Borg |
6–2, 7–6(7–1), 0–6, 1–6, 1–6 |
| Win | 1975 | US Open | Clay |  Jimmy Connors |
6–4, 6–3, 6–3 |
Doubles Finals (1 Loss)
| Result | Year | Championship | Surface | Partner | Opponent | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Loss | 1978 | French Open | Clay |  José Higueras |
Gene Mayer Hank Pfister |
3–6, 2–6, 2–6 |
Year-End Championship
This tournament brings together the best players at the end of the tennis season.
Singles: 1 Title
| Result | Year | Championship | Surface | Opponent | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Win | 1976 | Masters | Carpet (i) |  Wojciech Fibak |
5–7, 6–2, 0–6, 7–6(7–1), 6–1 |
Doubles: 1 Title
| Result | Year | Championship | Surface | Partner | Opponent | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Win | 1975 | Masters | Carpet (i) | Juan Gisbert Sr. |
 Jürgen Fassbender Hans-Jürgen Pohmann |
Round robin |
Legacy
Manuel Orantes's amazing career was recognized in 2012. He was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame. This honor means he is remembered as one of the greatest tennis players of all time.
See also
In Spanish: Manuel Orantes para niños
