King Felipe VI.
Royal mourns the tennis star
King Felipe at the memorial event for the tennis player Manolo Santana.
© imago images / PPE
Spain mourns the loss of tennis star Manuel “Manolo” Santana. King Felipe VI. attended the memorial event for the athlete.
In the tennis facility of the Caja Mágica in Madrid, people said goodbye to the Spanish tennis star Manuel “Manolo” Santana (1938-2021). King Felipe VI too. (53) was there “to personally express his condolences to the tennis player’s widow and children”. The Spanish royal family announced this on Instagram with pictures of the funeral service.
It shows Felipe in front of the tennis star’s coffin and with the bereaved. The post goes on to say: “Manolo Santana, winner of four ‘Grand Slam’ titles, was one of the most important figures in Spanish tennis, a pioneer who opened the door to success in the sport. December, at the age of 83. ” On the tennis court in Madrid Santana was also remembered with pictures from his career.
A legend”
After the news of the death of the athlete, the royal family had already explained on Twitter: “There are people who become legends and make a country great. Manolo Santana was and remains one of them.” A second tweet simply says “Thank you, Manolo”. The Royals also posted a picture showing King Felipe, Queen Letizia (49) and Santana together.
Santana was the first Spaniard to win at Wimbledon. In 1966 he secured victory at the prestigious tournament. In the course of his career he also celebrated numerous other successes. In addition to Wimbledon, he won the French Open twice (1961 and 1964) and the US Open once (1965). In 1984 he was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame. After retiring from active sport, Santana remained loyal to the tennis world and was among other things co-organizer of the Madrid Masters. He died on December 11th in his home in Marbella after a short illness, his family said according to media reports. He leaves five children.