Manuel Alonso
Alias: Manuel Alonso de Areyzaga
| Born | November 12, 1895 in San Sebastian, Spain |
|---|---|
| Died | October 11, 1984 in Madrid, Spain |
| Class of HOF | 1977 |
| Plays | Right-handed |
| Bio | The first great player from the nation of Spain, Alonso had both a flair for the dramatic and a stylish game. During the 1920s he became a U.S. resident, which made him eligible for a U.S. ranking. For three years, he garnered a place in the American top ten, finishing second in the country behind the great Bill Tilden in 1929, which was no mean feat. His potent western forehand was the key to his success, but he had other attributes including superior footwork, and an affinity for the volley. |
| Misc | According to William Tilden: "Seldom have I seen such wonderful natural abilities as are found in this young Spaniard. Here is a player par excellence if he develops as he gives promise. Alonzo is young, about 25, slight, attractive in personality and court manners, quick to the point of almost miraculous court covering. He is a great attraction at any tournament. His service is a fairly fast American twist. It is not remarkable but is at least more severe than the average continental delivery. Alonzo has a terrific forehand drive that is the closest rival to W. M. Johnston's of any shot I have seen. He is reliable on this stroke, either straight or cross-court from the deep court but if drawn in to mid-court is apt to miss it. His backhand is a flat drive, accurate and low but rather slow and in the main defensive. His volleying is at once a joy and a disappointment. Such marvellous angles and stop volleys off difficult drives! Yet immediately on top of a dazzling display Alonzo will throw away the easiest sort of a high volley by a pitiable fluke. His overhead is at once severe, deadly and reliable. He smashes with speed and direction. It is not only in his varied stroke equipment that Alonzo is great but in his marvellous footwork. Such speed of foot and lightning turning I have never before seen on a tennis court. He is a quicker man than Norman E. Brookes and higher praise I cannot give. I look to see Alonzo, who today loses matches through lack of resource, become by virtue of experience and tournament play the greatest player on the continent. His brother, J. M. Alonzo, although nowhere in Manuel's class, is a fine all court player as are Count de Gomar and Flaquer, the remaining members of the Cup team. If Alonzo and his teammates are an indication of the type of players Spain is developing a new and powerful factor in the tennis world is entering the field to stay." |
| Tournament | AO | RG | W | US | Win-Loss |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1921 | A | A | F | A | 6-1 |
| 1922 | A | A | R64 | QF | 5-2 |
| 1923 | A | A | A | QF | 3-1 |
| 1924 | A | A | R64 | R64 | 2-2 |
| 1925 | A | A | A | QF | 3-1 |
| 1926 | A | A | A | R16 | 2-1 |
| 1927 | A | A | A | QF | 3-1 |
| 1928 | A | A | A | R64 | 0-1 |
| 1929 | A | A | A | A | 0-0 |
| 1930 | A | A | A | A | 0-0 |
| 1931 | A | A | A | A | 0-0 |
| 1932 | A | A | A | R32 | 2-1 |
| 1933 | A | A | A | R32 | 2-1 |
| 1934 | A | A | A | R64 | 1-1 |
| 1935 | A | A | A | R16 | 3-1 |
| 1936 | A | A | A | R64 | 1-1 |
| Win-Loss | 0-0 | 0-0 | 8-3 | 25-12 | 33-15 |