December 12, (THEWILL) – The tributes to Spanish tennis legend Manuel ‘Manolo’ Santana, who died on Saturday at the age of 83, have been pouring in led by compatriot tennis icon Rafael Nadal, the King of Spain, and the Spanish Prime Minister.
Santana won Wimbledon (1966), two French Opens (1961, 1964) and a US Open (1965) en route to becoming a national hero. After leading Spain to Davis Cup glory in 1965, he won a gold medal in the singles of the 1968 Olympic Games in Mexico City.
Santana retired in 1980 and by his death, had an accomplished life as a trainer, tournament promoter and senior circuit player. The tennis legend, who had been event director of the Madrid Open up to 2019 before he became an ATP honorary president, had been suffering from Parkinson’s disease.
Nadal led the homage to a Spanish sporting great saying in a Twitter post: “As I have said many times in the past, a thousand thank yous for what you did for our country and for marking the way for so many.
“You were always a benchmark, a friend and a person close to all of us. We will miss you Manolo. You were always unique and special. A hug to your family and a lot of strength at this time. We will never forget you.”
Felipe VI, the King of Spain, also posted on Twitter: “There are people who become legends and make a country great. Manolo Santana was and will always be one of them.”
Spanish PM Sanchez tweeted: ‘He won Roland Garros, the US Open and Wimbledon, 72 tournaments in total and an Olympic gold that turned him into a tennis legend and one of the best sportsmen in our country.
“My sincere condolences to Manolo Santana’s family, his loved ones and the world of tennis.”
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
