He won the prestigious Wimbledon tournament and the Australian Open – now tennis legend Alex Olmedo has died. The American died as a result of an insidious illness.
The tennis sport mourns Alex Olmedo. The former world-class player died on Wednesday of complications from a brain tumor, as the “International Tennis Hall Of Fame” announced. Olmedo was 84 years old.
“Alex Olmedo was a great champion and friend. I will miss him,” said Stan Smith, President of the Hall of Fame and Wimbledon winner in 1972, in a statement.
Olmedo’s life has been shaped by four extremely successful years
The native Peruvian moved to the USA in 1954, where he was accepted into the tennis team of the University of Southern California two years later. In 1956 and 1957 he won the United States University Championships in both singles and doubles. In 1958 Olmedo moved to the senior division and won the prestigious Davis Cup directly with the US national team.
Olmedo had his most successful year as a single player in 1959, when he won both the Australian Open and the traditional Wimbledon tournament. In the final of the grass classic, he defeated the Australian tennis icon Rod Laver in three straight sets.
After his active career, Olmedo worked as a celebrity tennis coach in Los Angeles for decades. In 1987 he was inducted into the hall of fame for his sport.
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