Who was the first Spanish male player to win Wimbledon?

Manuel Santana was the first Spanish male player to win the Wimbledon singles title. He achieved the landmark victory in 1966, defeating American Dennis Ralston in the final, 6–4, 11–9, 6–4.

Santana’s achievement was especially significant because Wimbledon’s grass courts were then dominated by players from Australia, the United States and Britain. His victory ended a 12-year wait for a European men’s singles champion at Wimbledon and established him as one of Spain’s pioneering tennis stars.

Santana had already won the French Open in 1961 and 1964 and the US Open in 1965. His Wimbledon success completed a remarkable collection of three different Grand Slam singles titles, although he never won the Australian Open.

The question refers specifically to a Spanish male player. Conchita Martínez became the first Spanish woman to win Wimbledon in 1994. Rafael Nadal followed Santana among Spanish men by winning in 2008 and 2010, while Carlos Alcaraz won in 2023 and 2024.