Osuna, Rafael

Rafael Herrera Osuna “Rafe”
Born: September 15, 1938
Died: June 06, 1969
Hometown: Mexico City, Mexico
Citizenship: Mexico
Handed: Right
Inducted: 1979

Grand Slam Record
U.S. Singles 1963
Doubles 1962
Doubles finalist 1961, 63

Wimbledon Doubles 1960, 1963

Tournament Record
Davis Cup Team Member 1958-59

Intercollegiate Singles 1962
Doubles 1961-63

Mexico’s greatest player, Rafael Herrera Osuna, died tragically in an air crash near Monterey, June 6, 1969–shortly after one of his brightest performances. He had spearheaded Mexico’s lone Davis Cup triumph over Australia, 3-2, in Mexico City by winning both his singles (the exciting fifth-match clincher over Bill Bowrey, 6-2, 3-6, 8-6, 6-3) as well as the doubles with Vicente Zarazua over John Alexander and Phil Dent. Ironically it was not only his last match, but the last appearance in the Australian captain’s chair of the man whose side he defeated, legendary Harry Hopman.

Long the anchor of Mexico’s team, the super-quick and clever 5-foot-10 Osuna, was the better known half of an extraordinary combine. He and Antonio Palafox showed what two good men could do for their country in 1962, taking Mexico past the U.S. for the first time, 3-2; Yugoslavia, 4-1; Sweden, 3-2; India, 5-0, all the way to the finale at Brisbane, where they lost to Cup-holding Australia, 5-0.

During that campaign en route to Australia, Osuna was 5-1 in singles, and with Palafox, 4-0 in doubles. Twice he came through in emotional and decisive fifth sets of fifth matches, beating Jack Douglas of the U.S. at the wire, 9-7, 6-3, 6-8, 3-6, 6-1, and Jan-Erik Lundquist of Sweden, likewise, 3-6, 6-4, 6-3, 1-6, 6-3, both at Mexico City.

Twice he won the doubles at Wimbledon, his country’s only triumphs there, 1960 and 1963. The first time, at 21, with his University of Southern California pal and partner, Dennis Ralston, 17, they were unseeded, and the second youngest champs, beating Mike Davies and Bobby Wilson, 7-5, 6-3, 10-8. In 1963 he and Palafox beat Pierre Darmon and Jean Claude Barclay. The two of them had a terrific series with Ralston and Chuck McKinley in three straight U.S. finals, 1961-63, the Mexicans winning in 1962 and holding fifth-set match points in 1963.

Ubiquitous on court, confusing to foes, ever seeking the net, he reached a zenith in singles by winning the U.S. title at Forest Hills in 1963, bewildering huge-serving Frank Froehling III, 7-5, 6-4, 6-2, with lobs, chips, angles, flying volleys and foot speed. Slouching, unimposing until his feet and hands whirred in action, he had a beguiling smile and a court manner that endeared him to galleries. At Southern Cal, where he was an All-American, he won the U.S. Intercollegiate singles in 1962 and was the first player since World War I to take the doubles three times: 1961 and 1962 with Ramsey Earnhart, 1963 with Ralston. Osuna was in the World Top Ten thrice, 1962-64, No. 1 in 1963. He was born September 15, 1938, in Mexico City and he made it into the Hall of Fame in 1979.

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