Richard "Pancho" Gonzales
Chronology
1928 | Born May 9 in Los Angeles, California |
1940 | Receives first tennis racquet as a Christmas present |
1942 | Wins first junior tournaments |
1943 | Drops out of high school; caught burglarizing houses |
1945 | Joins U.S. Navy |
1947 | Leaves Navy on a discharge; begins playing in men's tennis tournaments |
1948 | Wins men's singles title, U.S. Championships at Forest Hills |
1948 | Marries Henrietta Pedrin |
1949 | Wins men's singles title, U.S. Championships at Forest Hills |
1949 | Wins men's doubles title, Wimbledon, with partner Frank Parker |
1949 | Wins men's doubles title, French Open, with partner Frank Parker |
1949-50 | Loses to Jack Kramer in round-robin tour, 27-96 |
1953-59 | Wins U.S. Professional Championships |
1954-60 | Dominates the round-robin tours, beating Frank Sedgman, Tony Trabert, Ken Rosewall, Lew Hoad, and others |
1958 | Divorces Henrietta |
1960 | Marries Madelyn Darrow |
1961 | Wins U.S. Professional Championships |
1963 | Coaches U.S. Davis Cup team to final in Australia |
1968 | Returns to play major tournaments after tennis "opens" to allow amateurs to compete with professionals |
1968 | Divorces Madelyn |
1969 | Plays longest Wimbledon match ever (five hours, 12 minutes), beating Charles Pasarell in the tournament's first round |
1970 | Remarries Madelyn Gonzales |
1972 | Becomes oldest man to win a tournament, in Iowa, at age 44 |
1974 | Joins Caesars Palace in Las Vegas as a professional coach |
1975 | Divorces Madelyn for second time |
1984 | Marries Rita Agassi |
1995 | Dies of cancer, July 3, in Las Vegas |
Additional topics
- Richard "Pancho" Gonzales - Awards And Accomplishments
- Richard "Pancho" Gonzales - Prevailed In The Touring Circuit
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Famous Sports StarsTennisRichard "Pancho" Gonzales Biography - Taught Himself To Play, Prevailed In The Touring Circuit, Chronology, Awards And Accomplishments, Further Information