Tributes pour in following the death of Manolo Santana
Four-time Grand Slam singles champion and ITF Philippe Chatrier Award winner Manolo Santana has died aged 83.
Santana, who was widely considered a pioneer of tennis in Spain, was the first Spaniard to win a major title at the French Championships in 1961.
Rafael Nadal led the tributes on social media, saying: “As I have said many times in the past: thank you so much for what you did for our country and for marking the path of so many. You were always a reference, a friend and a person close to everyone.”
Te echaremos de menos Manolo; serás siempre único y especial. Un saludo a tu familia y mucha fuerza en estos momentos.
— Rafa Nadal (@RafaelNadal) December 11, 2021
Nunca te olvidaremos! #manolosantana #santana #tenis #tennis #DEP pic.twitter.com/zKC2VejhHL
Santana regained the French title in 1964 before going on to win the US Championships in 1965 and Wimbledon in 1966. The same year that a certain Billie Jean King won her first title at the All England Lawn Tennis Club.
The great Manolo Santana has passed away.
— Billie Jean King (@BillieJeanKing) December 11, 2021
He & I won our 1st #Wimbledon singles titles in 1966 (he was the first Spanish man to win the title). We danced the 1st dance at the Ball.
He loved the sport, & we shared many conversations over the years.
Condolences to his family. pic.twitter.com/spGkz300m1
Santana had an outstanding Davis Cup record, representing Spain from 1958-73, and with 92 total wins, is the fifth most successful player in Davis Cup history. He currently holds or jointly holds every Spanish Davis Cup record, including most years played (14) and most ties played (46).
Following a legendary career, Santana retired in 1980 and was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 1984. He continued to significantly contribute to the sport throughout his life, captaining the Spanish Davis Cup team, and establishing the Manolo Santana Racquet Club in Marbella and the Sport Centre Manolo Santana in Madrid.
Santana was honoured with the ITF Philippe Chatrier Award alongside Australia’s Fred Stolle in 2020.