Manuel Alonso

Manuel Alonso was a Spanish tennis player who was the first Spanish tennis player of international stature. He was inducted into the Tennis Hall of Fame in 1977.

Player Profile

Manuel Alonso de Areizaga was born on November 12, 1895, in San Sebastián, Spain. He stood 1.75 m (5 ft 9 in) tall. He frequently played doubles with his elder brother, José María Alonso, who was also a successful tennis player.

Professional Career

Alonso won the Spanish Tennis Championships in 1915, 1919, and 1920.

He was a member of the Spanish Davis Cup team from 1921 to 1925, and again in 1931 and 1936. He reached the Davis Cup final in 1922 with his partner Manuel de Gomar.

At his first appearance at the Wimbledon Championships in 1921, Alonso reached the all-comers final. He moved to the United States in 1923 and was ranked in the U.S. Top 10 for three years. In 1926, he was ranked U.S. No. 2.

He reached the quarterfinals of the U.S. Championships four times and was ranked World No. 5 in 1927. He retired from tennis in 1938.

Career Record

Singles

• Highest ranking: No. 5 (1927)

Best Grand Slam Singles Performances

• Wimbledon: F (1921)
• US Open: QF (1922, 1923, 1925, 1927)

Doubles

Best Grand Slam Doubles Performances

• Olympic Games: QF (1924)

Team competitions

• Davis Cup: F (1922)