Pancho González

Champion professional tennis player Pancho Gonzales was born Richard Alonzo Gonzales in Los Angeles, California, on May 9, 1928. He began playing tennis at age 12, and--except for a few tips given to him by a friend in high school--never had a tennis lesson in his life. By age 15 he was the top-ranked player in the boys' division in California. He dropped out of high school to devote himself to tennis and, other than a two-year stint in the US Navy from 1945-47, played the game full-time. In 1947 he went on his first tour, and while he didn't win any major titles, he wound up being ranked 17th nationally. The next year he did better, winning a number of regional tournaments and taking the national clay-court title. In September of that year he won the prestigious lawn-tennis singles championship in Forest Hllls, NY.