Rafael Osuna
| Full name | Rafael Osuna Herrera |
|---|---|
| Country (sports) |
 Mexico
|
| Residence | Mexico City, Mexico |
| Born |
15 September 1938 Mexico City, Mexico |
| Died | 4 June 1969 (aged 30) near Monterrey, Mexico |
| Turned pro | 1958 (amateur tour) |
| Retired | June 4, 1969 (due to death) |
| Plays | Right-handed (one-handed backhand) |
| Int. Tennis HoF | 1979 (member page) |
| Singles | |
| Career record | 56–17 |
| Highest ranking | No. 1 (1963, Lance Tingay) |
| Grand Slam Singles results | |
| French Open | 4R (1964) |
| Wimbledon | QF (1962, 1964, 1965) |
| US Open | W (1963) |
| Other tournaments | |
| Olympic Games | SF (1968, demonstration) |
| Doubles | |
| Career record | 0–1 |
| Grand Slam Doubles results | |
| French Open | QF (1965) |
| Wimbledon | W (1960, 1963) |
| US Open | W (1962) |
| Other doubles tournaments | |
| Olympic Games | W (1968, demonstration) |
Rafael Osuna Herrera (15 September 1938 – 4 June 1969), nicknamed "El Pelón" (The Bald), was a former world No. 1 tennis player, the most successful player in the history of Mexico and an Olympian. He was born in Mexico City, and is best remembered for his singles victory at the U.S. Open Championships in 1963, winning the 1960 and 1963 Wimbledon Doubles championships, the 1962 U.S. Open Championships doubles, and for leading Mexico to its only Davis Cup Final round appearance in 1962. He is the only Mexican to date to be inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame, in 1979.
His first successes as an athlete occurred before he was ten years old, when he competed in the open category of the Mexican National Table Tennis Championships. In the course of the tournament, he upset the Mexico City Table Tennis Champion in singles, a feat remarkable both for Osuna's young age and the fact that it was his first tournament. Osuna also won the Doubles Championship, with Alfredo Ramos Uriarte as his partner. From age 10 to 14 he was ranked in the top 10 in Mexico's Open singles in table tennis.
He was awarded a full scholarship to attend the University of Southern California (USC) in the U.S.A., by Head Coach George Toley, who quickly identified Osuna as a major talent. Toley had to literally reteach Osuna how to play tennis because of his poor technique but, in Toley´s own words ¨he moves on the tennis court like a God¨. Osuna participated in the 1960 Wimbledon championships, competing only in the doubles category with Dennis Ralston (soon to be his roommate at school). The two unknown youngsters soon made history, as the first unseeded pair to win the men's doubles at Wimbledon.
This victory marked the beginning of Osuna's career and fame. Described as an "agile and cerebral player" who "moves on the tennis court with the grace of a panther" (Tony Mottram), his subsequent achievements include:
Osuna was known for his footspeed, touch, and tactical awareness. Commentator Bud Collins dubs him "Mexico's greatest player...Ubiquitous on court, confusing to foes, ever seeking the net". His U.S. Open victory came against big server Frank Froehling, a dangerous unseeded opponent who had upset top-seeded Roy Emerson in the semifinals. Collins describes Osuna's victory as a triumph of tactical play:
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