King Felipe and Queen Letizia of Spain joined the Spanish sporting community to bid farewell to Manolo Santana. The Spanish monarch and consort were among the first to offer their tribute to the tennis player with a series of tweets.
The first, containing only a short text, reads: “There are people who become legends and who make a country big. Manolo Santana was and always will be one of those.”
The second tweet, posted as a quote of the previous one, simply reads “Thank you, Manolo,” and has attached a picture, which looks like it came from the 2017 ceremony of National Sporting Prize Awards, of King Felipe, Queen Letizia and Mr Santana.
A legendary tennis player, Santana was the first Spanish man to win a Wimbledon’s Men Single title, a tradition that would later be followed by current tennis star Rafael Nadal. Beginning his work life as a ball boy on the tennis court, he quickly became one of tennis’s big names in his era, winning countless titles in international competitions.
Following his retirement from competitions in 1980, Santana continued his work in the world of tennis, most notably by becoming the Madrid Masters Tournament’s director since its creation in 1990. Spain also awarded him two decorations: the Great Cross of the Royal Order of Sporting Merit in 2000 and the Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Second of May.
Santana died at the age of 83 in his Marbella house on the 11th of December 2021, following a short illness, according to his family. He leaves behind five children.
King Felipe and Queen Letizia seem to keep a close eye on the world of Spanish sport, always being ready to congratulate players who do well in tournaments, championships and other sporting events in the global calendar.
