Alex Olmedo, the International Tennis Hall of Fame member who won the Wimbledon and Australian Championships singles titles in 1959, died on Wednesday, December 9 at the age of 84 of brain cancer. “The Chief” as he was affectionately known is profiled by the late tennis journalist, historian and personality Bud Collins in his “Bud Collins History of Tennis” encyclopedia (for sale here: https://www.amazon.com/Bud-Collins-History-Tennis/dp/1937559386/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=Bud+Collins+history+of+tennis&qid=1607690978&s=books&sr=1-1) and is excerpted below:
Alejandro Rodriguez Olmedo, called “Chief” at the University of Southern California because of his regal bearing at 6-foot-1 and his Incan features, was an aggressive volleyer who constantly sought the net. He fared best on the quickest terrain: Concrete (U.S. Intercollegiate titles in singles and doubles for USC in 1956 and 1958); boards (U.S. Indoor titlist in 1959 over Dick Savitt, 7-9, 6-3, 6-4, 5-7, 12-10) and grass (Wimbledon and Australian chieftain in 1959). His was a quick but huge splash that covered two years.
Born March 24, 1936, in Arequipa, Peru, he picked up the game in his homeland as an extremely agile athlete. But it was refined when he came to USC where he was thrust into the limelight—and controversy—by one of his patrons, Southern California tennis czar Perry Jones. Jones, the U.S. Davis Cup captain in 1958 and 1959, saw in Olmedo the chance for victory after three lean years. Lobbying successfully for Olmedo’s inclusion on the basis that the Peruvian was a U.S. resident whose own country had no team, Jones installed him for the semifinal victory over Italy on grass at Perth. Alex won his debut over Nicola Pietrangeli, 5-7, 10-8, 6-0, 6-1. This launched a storm of press criticism over the U.S. using a non-citizen for the only time. Another hassle developed at the Cup round when the No. 1 American, Ham Richardson, was benched in singles in favor of Olmedo. But Jones’ policy worked. Olmedo anchored the 3-2 victory over the Aussies at Brisbane by beating Mal Anderson, 8-6, 2-6, 9-7, 8-6, and U.S. champ Ashley Cooper, 6-3, 4-6, 6-4, 8-6, joining his U.S. championship partner, Richardson, in an epic 82-game doubles win over Anderson and Neale Fraser, 10-12, 3-6, 16-14, 6-3, 7-5, saving two match points.
The Chief stuck around to win the Australian title over Fraser, 6-1, 6-2, 3-6, 6-3. A half-year later, Wimbledon belonged to Olmedo, 6-4, 3-6, 9-7, 7-5, over Rod Laver. Although he beat Laver again in the Cup round the following month, 9-7, 4-6, 10-8, 12-10, the U.S. lost the Cup to Australia, 3-2, at Forest Hills. Fraser, his left-handed conqueror in that series, 8-6, 6-8, 6-4, 8-6, also beat him for the U.S. title, 6-3, 5-7, 6-2, 6-4. In 1960, Olmedo turned pro and joined the nomads on their odyssey of one-night stands, and, in his rookie year, won the U.S. Pro over Tony Trabert, 7-5, 6-4. His brief mentions in the rankings: U.S. Top 10, No. 1 in 1959; No. 2 in 1958; world’s Top 10, No. 2 in 1959. His daughter, Amy Olmedo, won the U.S. Public Parks Championship for 12s in 1975. He entered the Hall of Fame in 1987, and became a U.S. citizen in 1999.
MAJOR TITLES (2)—Wimbledon singles, 1959; Australian singles, 1959. OTHER U.S. TITLES (11)—Indoor singles, 1959; Pro singles, 1960; Pro doubles, 1960, with Ashley Cooper; Indoor doubles, 1959, with Barry MacKay; Clay Court doubles, 1956;, with Francisco Contreras (MEX); Hard Court singles, 1956; Hard Court doubles, 1957, with Mike Franks; Intercollegiate singles, 1956, 1958; Intercollegiate doubles, 1956 with Contreras; 1958 with Ed Atkinson. DAVIS CUP—1958-59, 5-1 singles, 2-1 doubles. SINGLES RECORD IN THE MAJORS—Australian (5-0), French (0-2), Wimbledon (10-3), U.S. (15-9).
