Manuel Santana
He broke tennis's Anglo-Saxon stronghold, becoming Spain's first major champion and a national hero with his 1966 Wimbledon victory.
1938–2021 (age 83)·Spanish tennis player·Birthday: May 10·The Silent Generation
Biography
Manuel 'Manolo' Santana emerged from the clay courts of Madrid as a self-taught talent, a stylist whose touch and feel contrasted with the power game of his era. His 1961 French Open title announced Spain's arrival on the world tennis stage, a feat he repeated in 1964. But it was his 1966 triumph at Wimbledon, the cathedral of grass-court tennis, that cemented his legacy. As the first Spaniard to win there, he defied expectations and surface specialization, proving a master craftsman could conquer any terrain. Santana's success, which also included a U.S. Nationals title, ignited a tennis boom in Spain and paved the way for generations of Spanish champions. He remained a beloved ambassador for the sport, his gentlemanly demeanor and tactical brilliance forever part of his nation's sporting identity.
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.
Manuel was born in 1938, 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 Manuel Was Born
The biggest hits of 1938
#1 Movie
You Can't Take It with You
Best Picture
You Can't Take It with You
Manuel's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1938Born
Kristallnacht and the escalation toward WWII
Gas: $0.20/galHome: $2,850Min wage: $0.25/hrPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"Begin the Beguine" — Artie ShawBest Picture: You Can't Take It with You
1943Started school
Allies invade Sicily; Battle of Stalingrad ends
Gas: $0.21/galHome: $3,290Min wage: $0.30/hrPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"I've Heard That Song Before" — Harry JamesBest Picture: Casablanca
1951Became a teenager
First color TV broadcast in the US
Gas: $0.27/galHome: $7,925Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Too Young" — Nat King ColeBest Picture: An American in Paris
1954Could drive
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
1956Could vote
Elvis Presley appears on The Ed Sullivan Show
Gas: $0.30/galHome: $10,050Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Heartbreak Hotel" — Elvis PresleyBest Picture: Around the World in 80 Days
1959Turned 21
Fidel Castro takes power in Cuba
Gas: $0.30/galHome: $12,400Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"The Battle of New Orleans" — Johnny HortonBest Picture: Ben-Hur
1968Turned 30
Martin Luther King Jr. and Robert Kennedy assassinated
Gas: $0.34/galHome: $14,950Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"Hey Jude" — The BeatlesBest Picture: Oliver!
1978Turned 40
First test-tube baby born
Gas: $0.63/galHome: $35,300Min wage: $2.65/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Shadow Dancing" — Andy GibbBest Picture: The Deer Hunter
1988Turned 50
Pan Am Flight 103 bombed over Lockerbie
Gas: $0.90/galHome: $74,800Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Faith" — George MichaelBest Picture: Rain Man
1998Turned 60
Google founded; Clinton impeachment
Gas: $1.06/galHome: $107,300Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Too Close" — NextBest Picture: Shakespeare in Love
2008Turned 70
Barack Obama elected first Black US president; financial crisis
Gas: $3.27/galHome: $153,100Min wage: $6.55/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Low" — Flo RidaBest Picture: Slumdog Millionaire
2018Turned 80
Royal wedding of Harry and Meghan; Parkland shooting
Gas: $2.72/galHome: $211,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"God's Plan" — DrakeBest Picture: Green Book
2021Died at 83
January 6 Capitol breach; COVID vaccines roll out globally
Gas: $3.01/galHome: $298,900Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Joe Biden"Levitating" — Dua LipaBest Picture: CODA
Key Achievements
- Won the Wimbledon gentlemen's singles title in 1966, becoming the first Spanish man to do so.
- Captured the French Open singles championship twice, in 1961 and 1964.
- Won the U.S. Nationals singles title in 1965 at Forest Hills.
- Achieved the world No. 1 amateur ranking in 1965 and 1966.
- Led Spain to its first Davis Cup final in 1965 and later captained the team to victory in 2000 and 2004.
Did You Know?
He learned to play tennis while working as a ball boy at a Madrid club.
His 1966 Wimbledon win was celebrated with a telegram from Spanish dictator Francisco Franco.
He was also an accomplished footballer, playing as a goalkeeper in his youth.
The main stadium at the Madrid Open tennis tournament is named the 'Manolo Santana Stadium' in his honor.
“Wimbledon is for tennis players what bullfighting is for a bullfighter.”
