Playing the Greats: Manuel Santana

Was Manuel Santana the greatest Spanish player of all time?

Spain ‘s Manuel Santana was, along with Rod Laver, a forerunner of today’s game in many ways. By winning the French Championship
in 1961 and 1964, Wimbledon in 1966, and the U.S. Championship in 1965, he was an early vanguard of today’s “Spanish Armada” and
is arguably the greatest Spanish tennis player of all time.

Moreover, Santana’s style of play was also prescient of today’s players. He was a baseliner, and like his present countrymen,
Santana hit both forehand and backhand with topspin.

Because so many of the major tournaments were played on grass at the time, Santana was somewhat more adept at the net than most
of today’s baseliners but that was not his strength. He was a good but not great volleyer. He beat his net-rushing contemporaries
not by volleying better than they did, but by passing them and lobbing them better than they could pass and lob him.

He had great hands, deft touch and wonderful control over the ball. Santana did not usually serve and volley unless he was playing on grass. On clay he would generally start the proceedings on the baseline by flicking in…