Alex Olmedo
A Peruvian-born powerhouse who delivered a Davis Cup and major titles to the United States with a blistering serve-and-volley game.
1936–2020 (age 84)·Peruvian tennis player·Birthday: March 24·The Silent Generation
Biography
Alex Olmedo arrived in the United States from Peru as a tennis scholarship student, a move that would reroute the course of his life and the fortunes of American tennis. With a commanding presence at the net and a thunderous serve, he became an immediate force. In 1958, though officially listed as a 'foreign' player, he was the decisive weapon for the U.S. Davis Cup team, clinching the final against Australia. The following year, he exploded onto the global stage, winning both the Australian Championships and Wimbledon, defeating rivals like Rod Laver. His aggressive, classical style made him a fan favorite and briefly the world's number two amateur. Olmedo turned professional soon after, claiming the U.S. Pro title, and later found a second act as a respected coach. His journey from Lima to the lawns of Wimbledon is a story of sporting adoption and explosive talent.
The Silent Generation
1928–1945
Born between the Depression and the end of WWII. Too young to fight, old enough to remember. They became the conformist middle managers of the 1950s — and the civil rights leaders who quietly dismantled Jim Crow.
Alex was born in 1936, placing them squarely in The Silent Generation. The events that shaped this generation — world wars, depression, and rapid industrialization — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Alex Was Born
The biggest hits of 1936
#1 Movie
San Francisco
Best Picture
The Great Ziegfeld
Alex's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1936Born
Jesse Owens wins four golds at the Berlin Olympics
Gas: $0.19/galPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"The Way You Look Tonight" — Fred AstaireBest Picture: The Great Ziegfeld
1941Started school
Pearl Harbor attack brings the US into WWII
Gas: $0.19/galHome: $3,060Min wage: $0.30/hrPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"Chattanooga Choo Choo" — Glenn MillerBest Picture: How Green Was My Valley
1949Became a teenager
NATO founded; Mao proclaims the People's Republic of China
Gas: $0.27/galHome: $7,450Min wage: $0.40/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Riders in the Sky" — Vaughn MonroeBest Picture: All the King's Men
1952Could drive
Queen Elizabeth II ascends the throne
Gas: $0.27/galHome: $8,350Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Blue Tango" — Leroy AndersonBest Picture: The Greatest Show on Earth
1954Could vote
Brown v. Board of Education desegregates US schools
Gas: $0.29/galHome: $8,925Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Little Things Mean a Lot" — Kitty KallenBest Picture: On the Waterfront
1957Turned 21
Sputnik launches the Space Age
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $10,550Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"All Shook Up" — Elvis PresleyBest Picture: The Bridge on the River Kwai
1966Turned 30
Star Trek premieres on television
Gas: $0.32/galHome: $14,200Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"The Ballad of the Green Berets" — SSgt Barry SadlerBest Picture: A Man for All Seasons
1976Turned 40
Apple Computer founded; US bicentennial
Gas: $0.59/galHome: $29,300Min wage: $2.30/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"Silly Love Songs" — WingsBest Picture: Rocky
1986Turned 50
Challenger disaster; Chernobyl nuclear meltdown
Gas: $0.86/galHome: $66,600Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"That's What Friends Are For" — Dionne & FriendsBest Picture: Platoon
1996Turned 60
Dolly the sheep cloned
Gas: $1.23/galHome: $99,700Min wage: $4.75/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Macarena" — Los del RioBest Picture: The English Patient
2006Turned 70
Twitter launches; Pluto reclassified as dwarf planet
Gas: $2.59/galHome: $174,700Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Bad Day" — Daniel PowterBest Picture: The Departed
2016Turned 80
Donald Trump elected president; Brexit vote
Gas: $2.14/galHome: $181,700Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Love Yourself" — Justin BieberBest Picture: Moonlight
2020Died at 84
COVID-19 pandemic shuts down the world
Gas: $2.17/galHome: $248,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"Blinding Lights" — The WeekndBest Picture: Nomadland
Key Achievements
- Led the United States to Davis Cup victory in 1958, winning both his singles matches in the challenge round.
- Won the singles titles at both the Australian Championships and Wimbledon in 1959.
- Won the U.S. Pro Championships in 1960 after turning professional.
- Inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 1987.
Did You Know?
He learned to play tennis as a ball boy at the Lawn Tennis Club in Lima, Peru.
He played collegiate tennis for the University of Southern California, winning the NCAA singles title in 1956 and 1958.
In the 1959 Wimbledon final, he defeated Rod Laver, who would go on to win two calendar-year Grand Slams.
He later coached the USC men's tennis team for over 20 years.
“My serve was my weapon, and I came to the net behind it.”
