The central court of the Puente Romano Tennis Club paid an emotional tribute to Manolo Santana , who died last December. The pioneer of Spanish tennis, champion of four Grand Slams, founded this tennis club in 1979, to which he has been linked ever since. Born in Madrid, but from Marbella at heart, the first Spaniard to win Wimbledon was remembered on his court this Saturday, during the Davis Cup series between Spain and Romania.
It is arriving at a tennis event and, as if by accident, looking for Manolo Santana. He was always there where there was a Spaniard in contention, supporting from the front line, attending the press conferences… He did not miss a tournament. Even when health was more delicate, there he was. And always with an eternal smile, close and folksy with everyone. Today, after the third game of the series between Spain and Romania , the central court of the Tennis Club that he created in Puente Romano (Marbella) at the end of the 70s has paid him an emotional tribute.
Leading figures from the world of tennis were present in the stands to pay tribute to Manolo Santana. Albert Costa, Miguel Díaz, president of the RFET , Álex Corretja, Bjorn Borg, Andrea Pietrangeli, Juan Carlos Ferrero, Anabel Medina , among others. Nor did Emilio Butragueño, director of institutional relations at Real Madrid, want to miss out, a club to which Santana felt especially linked. Neither was his widow, Claudia, nor his daughter Bárbara, visibly moved on the center court. Nobody wanted to miss the last goodbye to a person who gave everything in his life for tennis.
«I thought of Manolo and felt joy, although I was sad for him. I want us to remember the figure as we all knew him, happy, joking, respectful. Thanks to him, many of us are here, so even though he’s not here, I want us to feel him. We are here for you, thanks to you”, said Álex Corretja, who acted as master of ceremonies, a few words that ended with a great applause from the stands of the Puente Romano Tennis Club.
After showing a video with images of Manolo Santana’s career and some messages of affection towards him, from Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic or Rod Laver, the track gave him a heartfelt applause, with the entire audience standing up and an emotional performance by a tenor. The icing on the cake in a series in which Spain has certified passage to the final phase of the 2022 Davis Cup after beating Romania (3-1) on the clay of the Puente Romano Tennis Club in Marbella.
