Manuel Santana

Who is Manuel Santana?

Manuel Martínez Santana, also known as Manolo Santana, is a former amateur tennis champion from Spain who was ranked World No. 1 in 1966. He was born in Madrid.

Before winning Wimbledon he was quoted as saying "Grass is just for cows." He thought that tennis should be played on artificial surfaces as opposed to lawn tennis courts like the ones at Wimbledon. This statement has been echoed throughout the years by numerous players including Ivan Lendl, Marat Safin, Marcelo Ríos, and, despite his 1973 victory at Wimbledon, Jan Kodeš.