Brazilian great Maria Bueno dies at 78
Tributes pour in for South America’s most successful player who won 19 Grand Slam titles
Also known as “The Tennis Ballerina” because of her graceful style and her exciting way of playing, Bueno was the first South American woman to win the Wimbledon singles title.
One tennis writer, John Barrett, called her “the elegant queen of Brazilian tennis.”
Her one major title of the open era, when big tournaments opened to professionals, was the 1968 US Open doubles alongside Australian legend Margaret Court.
Another doubles partner was Billie Jean King, with whom she won the Wimbledon title in 1965.
“In my era, tennis was totally amateur. I’d only take two rackets to a tournament and the prize for winning Wimbledon was a £15 voucher,” she said in a 2015 interview with YouTube channel Esporte Ponto Final.
“But through sport I got things that money can’t buy. I even met the pope and Princess Diana.”
For years after retirement she was a commentator on Brazil’s SporTV.
World No.1 in 1959, 1960, 1964 and 1966, Bueno was Brazil’s best ever player, winning 19 Grand Slam titles. These included Wimbledon singles titles in 1959, 1960 and 1964, and the US National Championship — precursor to today’s US Open — in 1959, 1963, 1964 and 1966.
She also got to the finals of the French championship in 1964 and the Australian in 1965.
Bueno was a consultant for several years for Sportv and commented on matches with Gustavo “Guga” Kuerten, the other Brazilian legend.
Always smiling in her television appearances, Bueno continued playing until last year, when she was stricken by disease.
French Open organisers yesterday paid tribute to Bueno with a minute’s applause ahead of the women’s singles final between Simona Halep and Sloane Stephens.
TSENG TAKES BOYS’ TITLE
Tseng Chun-hsin of Taiwan won the boys’ title at the French Open by defeating top seed Sebastian Baez of Brazil 7-6 (7/5), 6-2 yesterday.
The 16-year-old Tseng, who beat Australian Open champion Sebastian Korda of the United States in the semifinals, came back from a break down in the first set to claim his first Grand Slam title.
“Today I was playing really well on the baseline and solid,” the fourthseeded Tseng said. “I think the first set I was a little bit tight in the beginning, and after I just enjoyed and relaxed.”