Manuel Santana

Manuel Santana

Full name	Manuel Martínez Santana
Country (sports)	Spain
Residence	Marbella, Spain
Plays	Right-handed; one-handed backhand
Prize money
Int. Tennis HoF	1985 (member page)
Singles
Career record	49-26
Grand Slam singles results
French Open	W (1961, 1964)
Wimbledon	W (1966)
US Open	W (1965)
Other tournaments
Career record	20–22
Last updated on: July 5, 2009.

Template:Spanish name Manuel Martínez Santana, best known as Manolo Santana, (born May 10, 1938) is a former tennis champion from Spain. He was born in Madrid.

Career

In 1965, Santana, who had begun his career as a ball boy and "picked up" the game, led Spain to unexpected victory over the U.S. in the Davis Cup, and he became a national hero, receiving the public approval of the Spanish leader, General Franco. Despite his previous Grand Slam successes in the French Championships (1961, 1964) and the U.S. Championships (1965), Santana's win at the 1966 Wimbledon lawn tennis championships was a surprise, where he defeated the sixth seed R.D. Ralston 6–4, 11-9, 6–4. This was his last Grand slam title. His last major win was in 1970 by winning Barcelona where he defeated Rod Laver 6–4 6–3 6–4. He also captured the doubles title in Barcelona that year when he teamed with L. Hoad to defeat R. Laver/A. Gimeno 6–4 9–7 7–5. He was named to the Hall of Fame in 1984.

At the 1968 Olympic Games in Mexico City, Santana won the Gold Medal in Singles, though tennis was only a demonstration sport at that time. It became a medal sport in 1988.

He later was captain of the Spanish Copa Davis Team twice, once in the 80s and again for four and a half years in the mid-90s, until he was dismissed in 1999. Currently, he is the organizer of the Madrid Masters.

He manages the Manolo Santana Racquets club, a tennis club in Marbella, and the Sport Center Manolo Santana, in Madrid.

Grand Slam record

French championships

• Singles champion: 1961, 1964
• Doubles champion: 1963

Wimbledon championships

• Singles champion: 1966

U.S. championships

• Singles champion: 1965

Grand Slam finals

Singles

Wins (4)

Year	Championship	Opponent in final	Score in final
1961	French Championships	Nicola Pietrangeli	4–6, 6–1, 3–6, 6–0, 6–2
1964	French Championships (2)	Nicola Pietrangeli	6–3, 6–1, 4–6, 7–5
1965	U.S. Championships	Cliff Drysdale	6–2, 7–9, 7–5, 6–1
1966	Wimbledon Championships	Dennis Ralston	6–4, 11–9, 6–4

Personal life

Manolo Santana was married to Fernanda González-Dopeso, they had three children (Manuel, Beatriz and Borja), he also married reporter Mila Ximénez, with whom he has a daughter, Alba. The divorce was not friendly. He's currently married to Otti Glanzelius.

Trivia

• Before winning Wimbledon he was quoted as saying "The grass is just for cows." He thought that tennis should be played on artificial surfaces as opposed to lawn tennis courts like the ones at Wimbledon. This statement has been repeated throughout the years by numerous players including Ivan Lendl, Marat Safin, Marcelo Ríos, and Jan Kodeš (despite his 1973 victory at Wimbledon).
• Santana is with Lleyton Hewitt as the only Wimbledon Men's singles champion to lose in the first round in the following year.

External links

• International Tennis Hall of Fame profile
• Manolo Santana Racquets club
• Sport Center Manolo Santana