Anita Lizana

Who was Anita Lizana?

Anita Lizana de Ellis was a World Number 1 tennis player from Chile. She was the first Latin American, and first Hispanic person, to be ranked World Number 1 tennis player. Also, Anita Lizana was the first Latin American to win a Grand Slam singles championship. She won the U.S. Championships in 1937, defeating Jadwiga Jędrzejowska in the final 6–4, 6–2.

In 1936 she won the singles title at the British Covered Court Championships, played on wood courts at the Queen's Club in London.

Since Anita Lizana, the only other Latin American to be ranked World Number 1 in ladies tennis has been Maria Bueno of Brazil.

According to A. Wallis Myers of The Daily Telegraph and the Daily Mail, she was ranked in the world top ten in 1936 and 1937, reaching a career high of World No. 1 in those rankings in 1937.