All-American Monday - Pancho Segura

Pancho Segura (1943-95)

Born on June 20, 1921 in Guayaquil, Ecuador, Francisco “Pancho” Segura suffered from rickets as a youth. Restricted from playing some sports, Segura took to tennis and developed what the late Jack Kramer would once call “the single greatest shot in the history of tennis” – a two-handed forehand.

Segura would enter the University of Miami on a tennis scholarship while Gardnar Mulloy was at the helm of the program. On November 4, 1943, Segura, the fourth ranking amateur in the United States at the time, met the world’s No. 1 professional tennis player J. Donald Budge in an exhibition match. After dropping the first set 3-6, Segura came back to dominate the next two sets (6-0, 6-1) to win the match.

As a Hurricane, he won three straight NCAA singles championships from 1943-45. Segura also won the U.S. Indoor Title of 1946 and the U.S. Clay Court of 1944. He was a U.S. semifinalist from 1942-45 and a member of the U.S. Top Ten six times, No. 3 in 1943, 1944 and 1945.

Click here to read about Segura’s USPTA Induction

In 1950, three years after turning pro, Segura won the U.S. Pro Tennis Championship singles title over Frank Kovacs. In 1951 and 1952, Segura defeated Pancho Gonzalez claiming his second and third consecutive singles titles. In 1950 and 1952, Segura was the World Co-No. 1 player. 

In addition to his singles titles, Segura won the U.S. Pro Tennis Championship doubles title with Kramer in 1948 and 1955 and the 1954 and 1958 titles with Gonzalez.

Click here to view Segura’s International HOF page

In 1968, Segura partnered with Alex Olmedo and entered the doubles of the first open Wimbledon. In the second round they won the longest doubles match of Wimbeldon’s open era, 94 games, over Abe Segal and Gordon Forbes (32-30, 5-7, 6-4, 6-4). The 62-game set was the longest ever.

Due to his astonishing career, Segura would be elected into three Halls of Fame. The University of Miami’s hall in 1970, the International Tennis’ hall in 1984, and the USTPA’s hall in 2012.