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General First nameAlejandro Rodriquez (Alex)
LastnameOlmedo
GenderMale
CountryPeru
Date of birth1936-03-24
Place of birthArequipa, Peru
Date of death2020-12-09
Place of deathLos Angeles, United States of America


About

Alejandro Olmedo was born in Arequipa and he was introduced to tennis by his father, the resident pro and caretaker at a local club.

By his early teens, Olmedo had developed into a promising player and caught the eye of Stanley Singer, an American coach in Lima, Peru's capital. When Olmedo was 18, Singer sent him to live with a friend in California, where the youngster spent several months in night school learning English. He later attended Modesto College and then transferred to USC on scholarship.

By then, Olmedo had met and was mentored by Perry T. Jones, the septuagenarian who was the President of the Southern California Tennis Association at the Los Angeles Tennis Club (LATC) and ruled organized tennis in California in those days. Jones became one of Olmedo's staunchest supporters.

George Toley recruited him to play for the University of Southern California (USC), as he wrote in his book "The Golden Age of College Tennis, 2009".
Olmedo graduated with a Business Degree from USC. While there, he won the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Singles and Doubles Championships in 1956 and 1958. (In 1957, USC was excluded from NCAA competition.)

Alex is the first player from Peru to reach the sport’s upper echelons, Olmedo settled in California and made his mark all over the world as an exceedingly appealing court stylist with a congenial manner on and off the court.

Olmedo was ranked World No. 2 in 1959 by Lance Tingay of The Daily Telegraph.

Perry T. Jones became Davis Cup Captain in 1958 and recruited Olmedo to play on the team. He represented the U.S. in Davis Cup competition in 1958 and 1959, winning in both singles and doubles – achieving 2 of the 3 points required to win the Cup. His teammates were Ham Richardson and Barry MacKay, when they won the Cup in 1958.

He toppled the young Rod Laver to win Wimbledon in 1959, and was also victorious at the Australian Championships that same season. Olmedo excelled on the volley and was a superb fast-court player.

Olmedo was the first Latin American to win the Wimbledon men's singles title.
He spent over 40 years teaching tennis at the Beverly Hills Hotel in California.

Alex was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 1987.

Media


Archive statistics Career1951 - 1983
Tournament wins29
Matches644
Match wins398


Tournament wins 1976 - Ojai Championships (Open)
1974 - Camellia Festival Invitation (Open)
1972 - Glenwood Manor Invitation (Open)
1970 - Round Hill Pro Celebrity (Open)
1964 - Aix-Les-Baines Professionals (Professional)
1960 - World Professional Tournament (Professional)
1959 - Ojai Championships (Open)
1959 - Central California Championships (Open)
1959 - Kent Championships (Open)
1959 - Eastern Grass Court Championships (Amateur)
1959 - Charles Farrell Invitation (Open)
1959 - Shadow Mountain (Amateur)
1959 - US International Indoor Championships (Amateur)
1959 - Australian Open (Grandslam)
1959 - Wimbledon (Grandslam)
1958 - Intercollegiate Championships (Amateur)
1958 - Western States Championships (Open)
1958 - Tennessee Valley Invitation (Open)
1957 - Southern California Championship (Open)
1957 - Charles Farrell Invitation (Open)
1957 - Colorado Championship (Amateur)
1957 - Wolfsburg (Amateur)
1957 - Thunderbird Invitation (Amateur)
1957 - Köln International (Amateur)
1956 - Intercollegiate Championships (Amateur)
1956 - US Hard Courts (Open)
1956 - Arcadia Open (Open)
1955 - Tracy (Amateur)
1954 - Pensacola (Open)


Tournaments Rodez - 1983 Spain 3 Satellite - Masters - 1982 Spain 3 Satellite - Leg 3 - 1982 Pasadena Open - 1978 Southern California Sectionals - 1978 Southern California Championship - 1977 Southern California Championship - 1976 Ojai Championships - 1976 Ojai Championships - 1975 Camellia Festival Invitation - 1975 Southern California Championship - 1974 Pacific Southwest Championships - 1974 Tulsa Invitation - 1974 Pacific Southwest - Qualifying - 1974 Camellia Festival Invitation - 1974 Acapulco - 1974 California State Championship - 1973 Pacific Southwest Championships - 1973 Glenwood Manor Invitation - 1973 US Hard Courts - 1973 Tulsa Invitation - 1973 Charles Farrell Invitation - 1973 Wimbledon - 1972 Roland Garros - 1972 US Open - 1972 Canadian International Championships - 1972 Southern California Championship - 1972 Cincinnati - 1972 US Clay Courts - 1972 Queens Club Tournament - 1972 Pacific Southwest Championships - 1972 US International Indoor Championships - 1972 Central California Championships - 1972 West of England Championships - 1972 Pennsylvania Lawn Tennis Championship - 1972 Chichester - 1972 Glenwood Manor Invitation - 1972 US Hard Courts - 1972 Charles Farrell Invitation - 1972 Far West Invitation - 1972 Midland International Indoors - 1972 Clean Air Classic - 1972 Kansas City International Indoor - 1972 Los Angeles Inernational - 1972 Royal Crown Classic - 1972 US Open - 1971 Pacific Coast Championship - 1971 Eastern Grass Court Championships - 1971 Southern California Championship - 1971 Cincinnati - 1971 US Clay Courts - 1971 Pacific Southwest Championships - 1971 US International Indoor Championships - 1971 Pennsylvania Lawn Tennis Championship - 1971 Glenwood Manor Invitation - 1971 US Hard Courts - 1971 Northwest Invitation - 1971 Washington Open - 1971 Clean Air Classic - 1971 Des Moines International Indoors - 1971 Washington Open - Plate - 1971 US Open - 1970 Pacific Southwest Championships - 1970 Central California Championships - 1970 Thunderbird Invitation - 1970 Kansas City Open - 1970 Far West Invitation - 1970 Round Hill Pro Celebrity - 1970 Wimbledon - 1969 Roland Garros - 1969 Southern California Championship - 1969 Queens Club Tournament - 1969 Pacific Southwest Championships - 1969 US Pro Championships - 1969 West of England Championships - 1969 WCT - St. Louis - 1969 La Costa Invitation - 1969 Howard Hughes Open - 1969 Wimbledon - 1968 US Open - 1968 Queens Club Tournament - 1968 Pacific Southwest Championships - 1968 US Pro Championships - 1968 French Professional Championship - 1968 Madison Square Garden Fields - 1968 Pacific Coast Professionals - 1968 Pacific Southwest Championships - 1967 Madison Square Garden Pro Championships - 1967 Fresno Pro Championships - 1967 Pacific Coast Professionals - 1967 Los Angeles Professional Championships - 1967 Pacific International Pro Tournament - 1967 US Pro Hardcourts - 1967 International Pro Cup - 1967 World Pro Championships - 1967 US Pro Grasscourt Championships - 1967 Cincinnati Pro Championships - 1967 Colonial Pro Invitation - 1967 Madison Square Garden Pro Championships - 1966 Peacock Gap Pros - 1966 Forest Hills Pros - 1966 US Pro Grasscourt Championships - 1965 Masters Round Robin Professionals - 1965 US Pro Championships - 1964 US Pro Indoors - 1964 French Professional Championship - 1964 World Professional Tournament - 1964 Baltimore Pro Championships - 1964 Johannesburg Pros - 1964 Port Elizabeth Pros - 1964 Cape Town Pros - 1964 Wembley Professional Championships - 1964 Milwaukee Pros - 1964 WCT - St. Louis - 1964 Geneva Professional Gold Trophy - 1964 Rhodesian Professional Championships - 1964 Masters Round Robin Professionals - 1964 La Baule Professionals - 1964 Knokke-Le-Zoute Professionals - 1964 Monterrey Pros - 1964 Montreux Pros - 1964 Aix-Les-Baines Professionals - 1964 South Africa Professional Matches - 1964 Cairo International Professionals - 1964 Egyptian Professionals - 1964 Nairobi Pros - 1964 French Professional Championship - 1963 Johannesburg Pros - 1963 Wembley Professional Championships - 1963 Italian International Professionals - 1963 US Pro Grasscourt Championships - 1963 Portschach Pros - 1963 Kramer Cup - 1963 Rhodesian Professional Championships - 1963 Kitzbühel Pros - 1963 French Professional Championship - 1962 Cannes Pro Championships - 1962 Johannesburg Pros - 1962 Wembley Professional Championships - 1962 Kramer Cup - 1962 Geneva Professional Gold Trophy - 1962 Scheveningen Pros - 1962 Cava Dei Tirreni Professionals - 1962 Swedish Professional Championships - 1962 South African Professional Championships - 1962 Rhodesian Professional Championships - 1962 Zurich Professional Championship - 1962 Wembley Professional Championships - 1961 Professional Clay Courts - 1961 Kramer Cup - 1961 Scandinavian Professional Championships - 1961 Austrian Professional Championships - 1961 Rio de Janeiro Pros - 1961 French Professional Championship - 1960 World Professional Tournament - 1960 World Professional Indoors - 1960 Wembley Professional Championships - 1960 Japan Professional Championships - 1960 Australian Professionals - 1960 Perth Professional Championships - 1960 London Indoor Professionals Consolation - 1960 Australian Open - 1959 Wimbledon - 1959 US Open - 1959 California State Championship - 1959 Eastern Grass Court Championships - 1959 Southern California Championship - 1959 US Clay Courts - 1959 Queens Club Tournament - 1959 Pacific Southwest Championships - 1959 US International Indoor Championships - 1959 Central California Championships - 1959 Kent Championships - 1959 Pennsylvania Lawn Tennis Championship - 1959 Western Australia Championships - 1959 Ojai Championships - 1959 Bastad - 1959 Charles Farrell Invitation - 1959 Antwerpen International - 1959 Shadow Mountain - 1959 US Open - 1958 Victorian Championships - 1958 New South Wales Championships - 1958 Newport Casino - 1958 Eastern Grass Court Championships - 1958 Southern California Championship - 1958 Tennessee Valley Invitation - 1958 Cincinnati - 1958 US Clay Courts - 1958 Western States Championships - 1958 Pacific Southwest Championships - 1958 Japan International Championships - 1958 Pan American Championships - 1958 Good Neighbor Tournament - 1958 Pennsylvania Lawn Tennis Championship - 1958 Westchester - 1958 Thunderbird Invitation - 1958 Intercollegiate Championships - 1958 Palm Desert Invitation - 1958 Wimbledon - 1957 US Open - 1957 Colorado Championship - 1957 Southern California Championship - 1957 Sugar Bowl - 1957 Queens Club Tournament - 1957 Netherlands International Championships - 1957 Pacific Southwest Championships - 1957 German International Championships - 1957 Perth Amboy Invitation - 1957 Bavarian International Championships - 1957 Düsseldorf International - 1957 Thunderbird Invitation - 1957 Priory Club - 1957 Köln International - 1957 Bastad - 1957 Balboa Bay Club Invitation - 1957 Kitzbühel - 1957 Charles Farrell Invitation - 1957 Wolfsburg - 1957 Palm Desert Invitation - 1957 US Open - 1956 Newport Casino - 1956 Eastern Grass Court Championships - 1956 Southern California Championship - 1956 Southern Championships - 1956 Cincinnati - 1956 US Clay Courts - 1956 Western States Championships - 1956 Pacific Southwest Championships - 1956 La Jolla Tournament - 1956 Argentina International Championships - 1956 Southampton Invitation (Long Island) - 1956 Triple A - 1956 Seattle City Championship - 1956 Pennsylvania Lawn Tennis Championship - 1956 Intercollegiate Championships - 1956 US Hard Courts - 1956 Charles Farrell Invitation - 1956 Arcadia Open - 1956 Shadow Mountain - 1956 O'Keefe International Invitation - 1956 US Open - 1955 Newport Casino - 1955 Eastern Grass Court Championships - 1955 Southern California Championship - 1955 Cincinnati - 1955 US Clay Courts - 1955 Pacific Southwest Championships - 1955 Central California Championships - 1955 Southwest Championships - 1955 Southampton Invitation (Long Island) - 1955 Oklahoma State - 1955 Pennsylvania Lawn Tennis Championship - 1955 Ojai Championships - 1955 Tracy - 1955 Missouri Valley AAU - 1955 National Public Parks Tournament - 1954 Pensacola - 1954 Los Angeles Public Parks - 1954 Southern California Public Parks - 1954 Lima International - 1953 US Open - 1951