MADRID, 5 Mar. (EUROPA PRESS) –
Spanish and world tennis has paid this Saturday, on the occasion of the Davis Cup tie between Spain and Romania in Marbella (Málaga), an emotional tribute to the tennis player Manolo Santana, who died on December 11 at the age of 83, in an act organized by the Royal Spanish Tennis Federation (RFET).
On the center court of the Puente Romano Tennis Club in Marbella, where the Spanish team led by Sergi Bruguera has managed to beat the Romanian team (3-1), Spanish and international tennis figures such as Bjorn Borg, Nicola Pietrangeli, Jan Kodes, Ion Tiriac, Juan Carlos Ferrero, Alex Corretja, Albert Costa or Anabel Medina have wanted to pay tribute to Santana.
Sportsmen such as Nicolás Almagro, ‘Pato’ Clavet or José López-Maeso or authorities such as the president of the Junta de Andalucía, Juan Manuel Moreno Bonilla, have not been lacking; the mayor of Marbella, Ángeles Muñoz; the president of the RFET, Miguel Díaz Román; or the director of Institutional Relations of Real Madrid, Emilio Butragueño.
Manolo Santana’s widow, Claudia Rodríguez, and one of his daughters, Bárbara Santana, received bouquets of flowers and an unpublished photograph of the Spanish champion with the Wimbledon trophy signed by all those present.
The ceremony directed by Alex Corretja has had the performance of the tenor Rodrigo Orreo who has interpreted the song ‘You raise me up’. A video has also been shown in which tennis players such as Rafa Nadal, Roger Federer, Novak Djokovic and Rod Laver have sent a personal message.
“Manolo was a pioneer of Spanish sport and he marked the way for all of us who have come after him,” said Nadal. “He loved tennis and was always a true gentleman. He was one of the most loving legends we have ever had,” Federer recounted. “He was a legend and an incredible champion. I love you, Manolo,” added Djokovic.