Rafael Osuna

Rafael Osuna Herrera (15 September 1938 – 4 June 1969), nicknamed "El Pelón" (The Bald), was a former world No. 1 tennis player, the most successful player in the history of Mexico and an Olympian.

Osuna participated in the 1960 Wimbledon championships, competing only in the doubles category with Dennis Ralston (soon to be his roommate at school).

The two unknown youngsters soon made history, as the first unseeded pair to win the men's doubles at Wimbledon.

This victory marked the beginning of Osuna's career and fame.

Described as an "agile and cerebral player" who "moves on the tennis court with the grace of a panther" (Tony Mottram), his subsequent achievements include:

Osuna was known for his footspeed, touch, and tactical awareness.

Commentator Bud Collins dubs him "Mexico's greatest player...Ubiquitous on court, confusing to foes, ever seeking the net".

His U.S. Open victory came against big server Frank Froehling, a dangerous unseeded opponent who had upset top-seeded Roy Emerson in the semifinals.

Collins describes Osuna's victory as a triumph of tactical play:

"...Osuna cleverly neutralized [Froehling's] power with wonderfully conceived and executed tactics, especially lobbed service returns from 10 to 12 feet behind the baseline. Occasionally Osuna would stand in and take Froehling's serve on the rise, chipping the backhand, but more often he lobbed returns to disrupt Froehling's serve-volley rhythm and break down his suspect overhead. In fact, Osuna climbed the wall of the stadium to retrieve smashes and float back perfect lobs, frustrating Froehling with his nimble speed around the court, touch and tactical variations."

He was born in Mexico City, and is best remembered for his singles victory at the U.S. Open Championships in 1963, winning the 1960 and 1963 Wimbledon Doubles championships, the 1962 U.S. Open Championships doubles, and for leading Mexico to its only Davis Cup Final round appearance in 1962.

According to ESPN Latin America, Osuna's latest achievements such as reaching the World No. 1 and winning the US Open in 1963 were highly influential factors for the organizers to create a tennis event for the Olympics.

Osuna competed for Mexico in tennis at the 1968 Summer Olympics, which was a demonstration sport with no medals awarded.

He finished in first place in three events:

He is also remembered by his bold strategy against Bill Bowrey on the 4th match of the Mexico vs Australia Davis Cup tie in 1969.

Coming back after the obligatory break after three sets (Osuna leading 2 sets to one), after holding serve on the first game, Osuna hits out, going for the lineas and keeping the ball away from Bowrey on each of all his service returns.

While the knowledgeable public interprets this actions as trying to get loose, as the match progresses the public is baffled by Osuna continuing to do so after holding serve.

Then, after holding serve and going up 4–3, Osuna changes his manner of play drastically by chipping in his return low to his opponents feet.

At this precise moment Bowrey, in the entire 4th set and coming out of the rest period, has not hit one volley after his service motion due to the ¨hitting out¨strategy that Osuna implemented on this set.

Bowrey is startled by the change of strategy on the first point.

Osuna plays a superb second point to go up 0-30.

Being love – 30 gets Bowrey extremely tight and gets broken.

Osuna closes the match on his next service game.

Osuna was one of 79 people killed in the crash of Mexicana de Aviación Flight 704 on 4 June 1969 near Monterrey, Nuevo León, "Pico del Fraile", Tres Cerros.

He was 30 years old.

Osuna has received numerous posthumous honors, including:

He is the only Mexican to date to be inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame, in 1979.

His first successes as an athlete occurred before he was ten years old, when he competed in the open category of the Mexican National Table Tennis Championships.

In the course of the tournament, he upset the Mexico City Table Tennis Champion in singles, a feat remarkable both for Osuna's young age and the fact that it was his first tournament.

Osuna also won the Doubles Championship, with Alfredo Ramos Uriarte as his partner.

From age 10 to 14 he was ranked in the top 10 in Mexico's Open singles in table tennis.

He was awarded a full scholarship to attend the University of Southern California (USC) in the US, by Head Coach George Toley, who quickly identified Osuna as a major talent.

Toley had to literally reteach Osuna how to play tennis because of his poor technique but, in Toley's own words ¨he moves on the tennis court like a God¨.