Pancho Gonzales

Pancho Gonzales (1928-1995), American tennis player, who at the age of 41 played a historic 112-game match at Wimbledon in 1969, eight years after he had announced his retirement from tennis. He was born Richard Alonzo Gonzalez in Los Angeles. He was introduced to tennis at the age of 12, but never had a formal tennis lesson. Developing a powerful service that became his hallmark, he won the United States amateur singles championships at Forest Hills, New York, in 1948 and 1949. In the latter year he came to international attention when he defeated the top-ranking American player, Frederick R. “Ted” Schroeder, after losing the first two sets. Gonzalez subsequently became a professional player, and five years later was generally acknowledged to be the foremost tennis player in the world. Although he announced his retirement in 1961, he remained an active tournament player, popular for his ageless competitiveness and colorful personality. Under contract to World Championship Tennis, he defeated, on one occasion or another, every top-ranking player in the world. In a historic 112-game match at Wimbledon in 1969, after losing the first two sets, Gonzalez defeated the American athlete Charles Pasarell. The actual match was the longest in the history of the Wimbledon tournament.