A Tennis Great

May 9, 2009

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Profile America — Saturday, May 9th. One of America’s greatest tennis stars — Richard Alonzo Gonzales, far better known as “Pancho” — was born on this day in 1928 in Los Angeles. Self-taught, his playing was marked by consistent brilliance over a span of many years. He won the U.S. Open championship at the age of 19. He played competitively until he was 44, far past the age when most professionals have retired, regularly beating players 15 to 20 years younger. Gonzales was noted for his serve, once clocked at 112 miles-an-hour. He began playing at the age of 12, with a racket that cost 50 cents. Now, America’s more than 10 million tennis players spend over $440 million a year on their equipment. You can find these and more facts about America from the U.S. Census Bureau online at <www.census.gov>.

Sources: Chase's Calendar of Events 2009, p. 260
Statistical Abstract of the United States 2009, t. 1209, 1210
http://www.census.gov/compendia/statab/2009edition.html