Maria Esther Bueno

Maria Esther Bueno was a Brazilian tennis legend who dominated the sport in the 1950s and 1960s. She won 19 major titles in her career, including seven in singles, 11 in doubles, and one in mixed doubles. She was the first woman to win the Grand Slam in doubles in 1960, and the first non-North-American woman to win Wimbledon and the U.S. Championships in the same year. She was known for her graceful and elegant style of play, as well as her powerful serve and volley skills. She was ranked No. 1 in the world in 1959, 1960, and 1964, and was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 1978. She was also honored by her country as a national heroine, receiving a ticker-tape parade in São Paulo and the Order of Rio Branco. She was widely regarded as the greatest South American tennis player of all time, and one of the best female players in history. She died in 2018 at the age of 78, after battling mouth cancer. ¹²⁷ [^10^] ¹²¹³¹⁴¹⁵¹⁶