Question 1

True or false: Gonzales was the first tennis player to win a Grand Slam tournament left-handed.

Accepted Answer

False. He was right-handed. Several left-handers, like Rod Laver, won majors before him.

Question 2

True or false: Gonzales won the French Open singles title in 1956 while still an amateur.

Accepted Answer

False. He was a professional by 1949 and never played the French Open, which barred pros until 1968.

Question 3

True or false: Pancho Gonzales was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 1968, the same year he returned to Grand Slam play.

Accepted Answer

True. Inducted in 1968, he then competed in the first US Open that year, reaching the semifinals at age 40.

Question 4

True or false: Pancho Gonzales never lost a Davis Cup match in his entire career.

Accepted Answer

False. He lost several Davis Cup matches, including a 1949 Challenge Round singles loss to Ted Schroeder.

Question 5

True or false: Pancho Gonzales won his first US Open title at age 42, making him the oldest major champion in tennis history.

Accepted Answer

True. He won the 1948 US Nationals at 20, but his 1969 US Open title at 42 remains the oldest major win in men's tennis.

Question 6

True or false: Gonzales famously won a 1969 Wimbledon match that lasted over five hours, the longest singles match in tournament history at the time.

Accepted Answer

True. He defeated Charlie Pasarell 22-24, 1-6, 16-14, 6-3, 11-9 in 5 hours, 12 minutes in the first round.

Question 7

True or false: Pancho Gonzales never played in a Grand Slam final after turning professional in 1949.

Accepted Answer

True. He turned pro before the Open era, so he was barred from majors until 1968, but he never reached a final after that.

Question 8

True or false: Pancho Gonzales never faced Rod Laver in a professional match.

Accepted Answer

False. They faced each other many times in pro tours and tournaments, with Laver winning most of their later meetings.

Pancho Gonzales Trivia Questions