Winner of Wimbledon and Australian Championships singles Titles in 1959, Alejandro "Alex" Olmedo, who was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 1987, has passed away at the age of 84.
Olmedo’s son, Alejandro Jr., the Hall of Fame said Thursday that Olmedo died of brain cancer on Wednesday.
Born in Peru in 1936, Alejandro Alex Olmedo moved to the United States as a teenager. He went to the University of Southern California, where he won NCAA tennis championships in singles and doubles in both 1956 and 1958.
That was followed by Olmedo’s historic 1959 season, which in addition to a victory over Rod Laver in the Wimbledon final and his triumph at the tournament now called the Australian Open included a run to the final at the U.S. National Championships.
That was when Grand Slam tournaments were closed to professional players. In 1960, Olmedo turned pro.
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“Alex Olmedo came from humble beginnings and he made sacrifices and worked hard to chase his dreams of a tennis career, ultimately becoming a major champion and Hall of Famer,” International Tennis Hall of Fame President Stan Smith said in a statement.
“He was a terrific player and a Davis Cup hero. … He was a great champion, a great friend, and he will be missed.”
Olmedo taught tennis for more than 25 years at the Beverly Hills Hotel, with celebrity students such as Katharine Hepburn, Robert Duvall and Chevy Chase, according to the hall.
In addition to Alejandro Jr., Olmedo is survived by his daughters, Amy and Angela, and four grandchildren, the hall said. He was previously married to Ann Pierce Olmedo.
Memorial services were pending...
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