It is 60 years since Maria Bueno became a Wimbledon champion for the first time. Wimbledon.com takes a trip down memory lane...
Balletic yet bold, powerful but controlled, the elegant Maria Bueno also balanced a natural humility with a fierce competitive spirit.
She combined those qualities to achieve spine-tingling heights: in 1960, Bueno became the first player from Brazil, male or female, to triumph at The Championships.
Going on to win three Wimbledon ladies' singles titles in a total 19 Grand Slam titles, the Sao Paulo-born Bueno became a symbol for brave new paths and breathtaking possibilities for many South Americans.
So profound was the effect that in 1959, the “Correois de Brasil” postage stamp honouring Bueno’s Wimbledon ladies’ singles title was released as a tribute. The same year, her history-making achievements were also feted with a street parade in Sao Paulo.
The ultimate tennis artist, the serve and volleying Bueno possessed all the requisite skills required to triumph at the All England Club. And yet, there was also an against-the-odds element to her history-making titles.
"Absolutely, winning Wimbledon in 1959 was the greatest moment of my career. It was a bit unexpected as I was very young,” Bueno told the WTA Tour in 2014 of her breakthrough victory as a 19-year-old.
“Coming from Brazil, where we had only clay courts, we didn't have a chance to really play on grass, so winning the first time was huge and a big surprise."
Even more astonishing, perhaps, was that Bueno was almost entirely self-motivated. Growing up across the road from a Sao Paulo tennis club, she was largely self-taught - even fine-tuning her serve from a book - and travelled the world unchaperoned.
None of those facts detracted from Bueno’s stunning consistency: in her first eight appearances at the All England Club, the Brazilian reached at least the quarter-finals every time.
Defeating American Darlene Hard to claim her first Wimbledon title in 1959, Bueno defended her title with victory over South African Sandra Reynolds in 1960. A bout of hepatitis prevented her from returning to The Championships in 1961 but she defeated Australian Margaret Court to win the 1964 singles title.
Achieving the coveted year-end world No.1 ranking four times (in 1959, 1963, 1964 and 1966), Bueno was also a four-time US Open singles champion.
There were also stunning achievements in another discipline for the hard-working Brazilian. Winning seven Grand Slam singles titles, 11 in women’s doubles and one in mixed, Bueno also achieved a rare feat in 1960 by winning all four Grand Slam doubles titles, alongside Darlene Hard and Christine Truman.
While her artistic flair became a benchmark for players, the stylish Bueno was equally known as a fashion icon. She became a muse for celebrated designer Ted Tingling and in 1962 she shocked at the All England Club with a skirt embellished with pink diamond shapes. Another outfit featured a bright pink underskirt and tennis pants; the next year, the “predominately white” directive was issued.
That undeniable charisma, combined with her graceful tennis and many milestones, ensured that Bueno was celebrated globally.
It was in Brazil and nearby, however, where the trailblazing Bueno was most influential. She remains the only South American to win a ladies’ singles title at Wimbledon. Argentina’s Gabriela Sabatini, the runner-up to Steffi Graf in 1991, has come the closest to emulating her achievements.
Inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 1978, Bueno remained a passionate ambassador for tennis. She passed away after a battle with cancer in 2018 but ensured a lasting legacy. The main stadium at the Olympic Tennis Centre in Rio de Janerio is named in her honour, adding a special significance to the 2016 gold medal victory of Puerta Rican Monica Puig in that stadium.
Sixty years on since that first ladies’ singles title, Bueno is still fondly remembered as a once-in-a-lifetime champion
