Spanish tennis players have dominated scenes in tennis for a considerable amount of time. Players such as Rafael Nadal, Manuel Santana, Carlos Moya, and Juan Carlos Ferrero are all Spanish legends. 

Sadly, a few moments ago, the news of the former great Manuel Santana’s passing away has saddened the tennis community and Spaniards across the world. Twenty-time Grand Slam winner Rafael Nadal was one of the first players to write down an emotional message for his contribution to Spanish tennis. 

Rafa tweeted, “I have just received the terrible news of the passing of our great Manolo Santana. As I have said many times in the past: thank you so much for what you did for our country and for marking the path of so many. You were always a reference, a friend, and a person close to everyone. We will miss you Manolo; you will always be unique and special. Greetings to your family and a lot of strength at this time. We will never forget you!”

Manuel Santana and Rafael Nadal have seen tremendous success

Santana earned a lot of success in his career. Having learned the game by being a ball boy, he surely did come a long way in his career. He won the French Open twice and won Majors at the Wimbledon Championships and US Open.

After him, it was Rafa who won multiple Grand Slam titles. Rafa has not been seen since his stint in Washington. He was still suffering from a foot injury and required further treatment in order to compete at the highest levels. He is expected to compete in the Mubadala Open in Abu Dhabi this month. 

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Santana became the first Wimbledon winner from Spain in 1966. He also led Spain to a Davis Cup success in 1965 over the United States. He’s a true legend of the game and will be sorely missed in Spain, and across the tennis world. 

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