Tennis great Pancho Segura dies at 96; coached Jimmy Connors
CARLSBAD, Calif. — Pancho Segura, who rose from poverty to win six U.S. Pro singles and doubles championships and was one of the world’s top amateur tennis players in the 1940s and professionals in the 1950s, has died. He was 96.
Segura died Saturday from complications of Parkinson’s disease at his home at the Omni La Costa Resort & Spa in Carlsbad, California, his son, Spencer Segura of Connecticut, said Sunday.
Inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 1984, Segura went from amateur to barnstorming pro as a player, then became a coach, including of Jimmy Connors, an eight-time major singles champion.
“Sad day — lost my friend-coach- and mentor,” Connors posted on Twitter Sunday.