Manolo Santana

Pioneer of Spanish tennis · Club founder (1996)

Manuel "Manolo" Santana (1938 – 2021) was the first Spaniard to win Wimbledon and one of the driving forces behind Spanish tennis. After his international career, he fell in love with Marbella and in 1996 founded the Manolo Santana Racquets Club.

1966:TheWimbledonTriumph

On 1 July 1966, Manolo Santana changed Spanish tennis forever. On Centre Court at the All England Club he beat Dennis Ralston to become the first Spaniard to win Wimbledon.

His elegant, strategic game broke barriers and proved a clay-court player could win on the most prestigious grass in the world. Beyond being a personal milestone, his victory inspired a whole nation and planted the seed for every Spanish champion that came after him.

Manolo Santana kissing the Wimbledon trophy in 1966 — The Historic Moment. Manolo Santana crowned Wimbledon champion in 1966.

CareerHighlights

Grand Slam singles titles

Total titles

Davis Cup matches

World ranking 1966

Grand Slam (singles): Roland Garros 1961 & 1964; US Open 1965 (trophy handed over by Robert F. Kennedy); Wimbledon 1966

Grand Slam (doubles): Roland Garros 1963 (with Roy Emerson)

World No. 1 in 1965/1966 — Top 10 for 7 consecutive years (1961–1967)

8× Spanish National Champion (1958, 1960–1964, 1968–1969)

Davis Cup: 119 matches (69 singles wins, 24 doubles wins). Captain of Spain (1980–84, 1995–99)

Galea Cup: Champion in 1956, 1957 and 1958

International Tennis Hall of Fame: Inducted in 1984

Olympic gold (exhibition) Mexico 1968

Madrid Masters director (2002–2018). The centre court at Caja Mágica bears his name: Estadio Manolo Santana

Honours: Gold Medal for Sporting Merit, Grand Cross of Isabella the Catholic, Gold Medal of the City of Madrid

Legacyandimpact

Santana's figure was key to popularising tennis in Spain. His 1966 Wimbledon victory reshaped the country's view of the sport — from an elitist pastime to a popular phenomenon. As Juan Antonio Samaranch put it, Santana was "the inverted peak of the pyramid" that inspired thousands of players.

"This is Santana — the inverted peak of the pyramid. He gave Spanish sport its days of glory and promoted the construction of thousands and thousands of tennis courts, inspiring tens of thousands of players in our country."
— Juan Antonio Samaranch

He led the professionalisation and growth of events and infrastructure. In Madrid he directed the Masters Series / Madrid Open from 2002 to 2018, turning it into a Masters 1000. The centre court at the Caja Mágica bears his name: Estadio Manolo Santana. After stepping down in 2019 he was named Honorary President of the Mutua Madrid Open for life.

In Marbella his legacy lives on in the community of the club bearing his name, keeping alive his philosophy of sporting excellence and well-rounded development.

Essentialtimeline

1961

Roland Garros champion — first Spaniard to win a Grand Slam.

1964

Wins his second Roland Garros, consolidating his clay-court dominance.

1965

US Open champion and World No. 1.

1966

Wimbledon champion — a landmark moment for Spanish sport.

1984

Inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame.

1996

Founds Manolo Santana Racquets Club in Marbella.

2002

Director of the Masters Series / Madrid Open until 2018.

2020

ITF Philippe Chatrier Award for his contribution to tennis.

2021

Passes away in Marbella. His legacy lives on at the club.

Documentary: The Legend of Manolo Santana

A journey through the life and legacy of Manolo Santana, the player who changed Spanish tennis forever. The documentary revisits his biggest wins, his influence on several generations of athletes, and his role as a tennis ambassador in Spain and in Marbella, where he left an indelible mark as founder of his own club. Click to watch on YouTube.

Historicgallery

Manolo Santana playing at Wimbledon — Mid-shot on the Wimbledon grass in the 1960s — pure elegance and strategy.

Spanish Davis Cup delegation — The Spanish delegation at the 1965 Davis Cup Challenge Round. Santana was the heart of the team.

Manolo Santana with Nadal, Moyá and Ferrero — With Rafa Nadal, Carlos Moyá and Juan Carlos Ferrero — generations of champions united by Spanish tennis.

Manolo Santana celebrating at the Madrid Open — Celebrating at the Mutua Madrid Open, the tournament he directed for 16 years.

Manolo Santana at the Marbella Racquets Club — At his Marbella club — the place where he brought his dream of accessible tennis to life.

Manolo Santana kissing a trophy — 4 Grand Slams, 72 titles, World No. 1 — a legendary career.

Manolo Santana with fellow players — With his generation of players — wooden racquets and pure passion for the game.

Manolo Santana greeting members in official jacket — Greeting members of the Manolo Santana Racquets Club. His legacy lives on on every court.

TheLegacyLivesOn

Manolo Santana was not just the first Spaniard to win Wimbledon, nor just the pioneer who opened international tennis to Spain. He was the visionary who understood that tennis had to be accessible to everyone, the master who inspired generations, and the founder who left Marbella a living legacy: the Manolo Santana Racquets Club.

"The master of Spanish tennis will live forever in every court of the club that bears his name."

Unforgettable moments

Black-and-white portrait of Manolo Santana

External links

Explore more about the life and impact of Manolo Santana through these external resources.

Documentary: 'It all started with you'

An RTVE feature that traces the trajectory of Manolo Santana and his fundamental role in the history of Spanish tennis.

Watch on RTVE Play →

Wikipedia biography

See his full career record, trajectory and detailed biographical data on the free encyclopedia — a comprehensive resource about his life.

Read on Wikipedia →