IT is a sad week for tennis, with icon Alex Olmedo passing away. The 84-year-old was a key pillar in the tennis world with the Peruvian making a name for himself in 1959 after taking out the Australian Open and Wimbledon titles, and then reaching the final of the United States Nationals all in the same year. He quickly became a well-known face on the international circuit given his dominance and sheer firepower and leaves behind an impressive legacy.

He first burst onto the scene at championship level when he was 15 at Forest Hills and although he lost in a preliminary round it was enough to give him that exposure. By the time he was 17 the Peruvian born star was recognised as the best tennis player in the country and was on the lookout for greener pastures heading over to the US. Olmedo found his calling playing at the University of Southern California where he claimed victory in both the N.C.A.A singles and doubles events in 1956 and 1958 and he only got better from there on out.

Olmedo reigned supreme at the Davis Cup final in Brisbane back in 1958 pairing up with Ham Richardson for Team America which caused its fair share of controversy given the Peruvian was not actually an American citizen. However his selection was well and truly within the rules given he was a resident.

But that was only the beginning of the journey, as Olmedo came into his own on the tennis court and took the world by storm in 1959. He showcased his smarts to cover the court and play to his strengths prevailing in a gruelling four-set contest against Neale Fraser to claim the Australian Open 6-1, 6-2, 3-6, 6-3.

That form filtered into Wimbledon where he took down famous Australian Rod Laver prior to his dominance 6-4, 6-3, 6-4 to cap off a dominant year. He fell agonisingly short in the US Nationals in the same year with Fraser exacting his revenge after going down to him in the Australian Open earlier in the year.

Olmedo was renowned for his flashy style of play, natural flair, deceptive speed and powerful serve along with his sportsmanship when out on court. Even after retiring from the elite level of the sport Olmedo plied his trade in a coaching capacity filtering down his love for the sport to some of Hollywood. The right hander was recognised for his contributions to tennis inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 1987 years after his retirement.