Pancho Gonzales

Ricardo Alonso "Pancho" González (May 9, 1928 – July 3, 1995), known sometimes as Richard Gonzales, was an American tennis player. He won 14 major singles titles (12 Pro Slam events, 2 Grand Slam events).

Pancho Gonzales
Pancho Gonzales 1954.jpg
Gonzales practicing in Australia in 1954
Full nameRicardo Alonso González
Country United States
Born(1928-05-09)May 9, 1928
Los Angeles, California, U.S.
DiedJuly 3, 1995(1995-07-03) (aged 67)
Las Vegas, Nevada, U.S.
Height1.88 m (6 ft 2 in)
Turned pro1949
Retired1974
PlaysRight-handed (one-handed backhand)
Int. Tennis HOF1968 (member page)
Singles
Career record1250–561 (69.05%)[1]
Career titles111[1]
Highest rankingNo. 1 (1952, Tennis Hall of Fame)
Grand Slam Singles results
Australian Open3R (1969)
French OpenSF (1949, 1968)
Wimbledon4R (1949, 1969)
US OpenW (1948, 1949)
Other tournaments
Professional majors
US ProW (1953, 1954, 1955, 1956, 1957, 1958, 1959, 1961)
Wembley ProW (1950, 1951, 1952, 1956)
French ProF (1956, 1961)
TOCW (1957, 1958 Forest Hills, 1959 Sydney)
Doubles
Grand Slam Doubles results
French OpenW (1949)
WimbledonW (1949)
Grand Slam Mixed Doubles results
WimbledonQF (1968)

Gonzales was the world's leading professional player at a time when almost all players were amateur. His peak was from about 1952 to about 1958. He won many professional and open titles. He was always a serve-and-volley player at a time when many amateurs played a baseline game.

When he first turned professional, the reigning top man was Jack Kramer. At first, Kramer crushed him. Gonzales semi-retired in 1950/51. When he came back in late 1951, Gonzales was much improved. He reached the top in 1952, winning the professional hard-court title in Los Angeles.

The Tennis Hall of Fame says Gonzales rose to the rank of number one in 1952.[2]

Pancho Gonzales Media

References

  1. 1.0 1.1 "Pancho Gonzales: Career match record". thetennisbase.com. Tennis Base. Archived from the original on 7 November 2017. Retrieved 3 November 2017.
  2. "Tennis Hall of Fame bio". Retrieved 21 April 2020.