Manuel Santana facts for kids
Santana in 1964
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| Full name | Manuel Santana Martínez | |||||||||||||||||||
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| Country (sports) |  Spain |
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| Born | 10 May 1938 Madrid, Spain |
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| Died | 11 December 2021 (aged 83) Marbella, Spain |
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| Turned pro | 1968 (amateur tour from 1956) | |||||||||||||||||||
| Retired | 1977 | |||||||||||||||||||
| Plays | Right-handed (one-handed backhand) | |||||||||||||||||||
| Int. Tennis HoF | 1984 (member page) | |||||||||||||||||||
| Singles | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Career record | 864–227 (79.1%) | |||||||||||||||||||
| Career titles | 94 | |||||||||||||||||||
| Highest ranking | No. 1 (1965, Ned Potter) | |||||||||||||||||||
| Grand Slam singles results | ||||||||||||||||||||
| French Open | W (1961, 1964) | |||||||||||||||||||
| Wimbledon | W (1966) | |||||||||||||||||||
| US Open | W (1965) | |||||||||||||||||||
| Other tournaments | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Olympic Games | W (1968, demonstration) | |||||||||||||||||||
| Doubles | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Grand Slam doubles results | ||||||||||||||||||||
| French Open | W (1963) | |||||||||||||||||||
| Wimbledon | SF (1963) | |||||||||||||||||||
| Other doubles tournaments | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Olympic Games | F (1968, demonstration) | |||||||||||||||||||
| Team competitions | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Davis Cup | F (1965Ch, 1967Ch, 1970) | |||||||||||||||||||
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Medal record
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Manuel "Manolo" Santana Martínez (born May 10, 1938 – died December 11, 2021) was a famous Spanish tennis player. He was considered the best amateur tennis player in the world in both 1965 and 1966.
Manolo Santana won the US Open in 1965. The next year, he won Wimbledon, which was a big surprise. Before winning Wimbledon, he famously said, "grass is just for cows," because he preferred playing on clay courts.
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Manolo Santana's Tennis Journey
Manolo Santana was born in Madrid, Spain. He started playing tennis by chance when he was a ball boy at a tennis club. He was bringing food to his brother, who worked there.
Santana once said, "I saw men in pants playing tennis. I was immediately charmed." He added, "I started as a ball boy, and then I started playing. In the end, I am an example of humility in an elitist world."
Becoming a National Hero
In 1965, Santana helped Spain win against the U.S. in the Davis Cup. This made him a national hero in Spain. He had already won the French Championships in 1961 and 1964, and the U.S. Championships in 1965.
His win at the 1966 Wimbledon tennis tournament was unexpected. He beat Dennis Ralston in three straight sets. Santana also reached the world number 1 ranking in 1965. His last major tournament win was in 1970 in Barcelona, where he defeated tennis legend Rod Laver. He also won the doubles title there with Lew Hoad.
Later Career and Awards
Manolo Santana was added to the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 1984. This is a special place for the greatest tennis players of all time.
At the 1968 Olympic Games in Mexico City, Santana won a gold medal in singles. However, tennis was only a "demonstration sport" back then. This means it was shown but not a full medal event. Tennis became a medal sport in 1988.
Santana later became the captain of the Spanish Davis Cup team twice. He led the team in the 1980s and again for four and a half years in the mid-1990s. Until 2019, he was also the organizer of the Madrid Masters, a big tennis tournament.
He also managed his own tennis clubs, the Manolo Santana Racquets Club in Marbella and the Sport Center Manolo Santana in Madrid.
Unique Wimbledon Fact
Santana and Lleyton Hewitt are the only Wimbledon men's singles champions to lose in the first round the year after winning. Santana lost in 1967, and Hewitt lost in 2003.
In 2011, Santana attended the 2011 Wimbledon Championships in London. He watched the men's final from the Royal Box, cheering for his fellow countryman Rafael Nadal.
In 2020, Santana received the ITF Philippe Chatrier Award. This award honors people who have made a great contribution to tennis, both on and off the court.
Grand Slam Wins
Manolo Santana won four Grand Slam singles titles and one Grand Slam doubles title. Grand Slams are the four biggest tennis tournaments each year: the Australian Open, French Open, Wimbledon, and US Open.
Singles Titles (4)
- 1961: French Championships (Clay) – Beat Nicola Pietrangeli
- 1964: French Championships (Clay) – Beat Nicola Pietrangeli
- 1965: U.S. Championships (Grass) – Beat Cliff Drysdale
- 1966: Wimbledon Championships (Grass) – Beat Dennis Ralston
Doubles Title (1)
- 1963: French Championships (Clay) – Partnered with Roy Emerson to beat Gordon Forbes and Abe Segal
Important Career Wins
Manolo Santana won 94 singles titles during his career. Here are some of his notable victories:
- 1958: Spanish International Championships
- 1959: Argentina International Championships
- 1961: Colombian International (beat Rod Laver)
- 1962: Mexican Championships (beat Rod Laver)
- 1962: Trofeo Conde de Godó
- 1965: International Swedish Hard Court Championships. (beat Roy Emerson)
- 1966: Monte-Carlo Championships
- 1967: South African Championships
- 1967: Canadian Championships (beat Roy Emerson)
- 1968: West Berlin Championships
- 1968: Olympic Games Mexico (demonstration event)
- 1969: Austrian Open
- 1970: Spanish Open (beat Rod Laver)
- 1971: Trofeo Conde de Godó
- 1972: Grand Prix German Open
- 1975: Grand Prix German Open
Santana's Legacy
Manolo Santana passed away on December 11, 2021, at the age of 83. His death was announced by the Madrid Open.
Many people shared their sadness and respect for him. Rafael Nadal, another Spanish tennis star, tweeted: "the only other Spanish man to win Wimbledon. We will miss you. Thank you a thousand times for what you have done for our country and for having opened the way for so many people. You have always been a point of reference, a friend and a person very close to everyone."
Spanish King Felipe VI also tweeted: "there are people who become legends and make a country great. Manolo Santana was and will always be one of them." Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez called him a "legend."
Images for kids
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Santana in 1964
See also
In Spanish: Manolo Santana para niños
