It is with great sadness that the tennis world has learned of Maria Esther Bueno’s death in São Paulo on 8 June after a long battle with cancer at the age of 78. She had her family around her and it was peaceful at the last.
Bueno was admitted to the Nove de Julho hospital in São Paulo on 11 May for pain control and to start immunotherapy treatment, and remained optimistic about returning to London for Wimbledon this summer, as she has done for so many years.
Despite all the efforts of her medical team, however, the cancer, apparently a virulent form of Merkel cell carcinoma, continued to spread.
It started on the lip in 2016 and the cells were surgically removed. She then underwent extensive radiotherapy early last year at the Albert Einstein Hospital in São Paulo, and while it was thought she was in remission for a while, it unfortunately metastasised elsewhere over ensuing months.
She continued to play tennis but felt pains and, at first, thought it to be an injury, but after new tests, it was discovered that a new cancer had spread to other organs of the body.
Bueno endured all this very privately, not wishing to give rise to speculation and to be able to undergo her treatment without undue stress, fighting bravely to the end and remaining positive and hopeful.
She was still lucid and last Tuesday watched the match between Novak Djokovic and the Italian Marco Cecchinato in the quarter-finals of Roland Garros.
The funeral takes place today, Saturday, in Brazil from 8,00am to 3.00 pm at the Oval Office of the Government House of São Paulo.
In a statement, the Governor of São Paulo, Márcio France (PSB) decreed mourning in the State for three days: “The Government of the State of São Paulo has honoured Maria Esther Bueno with the Grand Cross of the Order of Ipiranga, the highest state distinction. My feelings and prayers are with the family and friends of this [exceptional] woman, who was an example and leaves a legacy for young people and athletes, particularly in São Paulo and Brazil. On this occasion, an official mourning decree in the state for three days.”
Revered in Brazil and around the world as the greatest players of all time, Bueno achieved the rank of World No 1 in 1959, 1960, 1964 and 1966.
She won her first Grand Slam title at Wimbledon in 1959 at the age of 19 years and, in 1960, won the Grand Slam in doubles by winning the titles in Australia, Paris, Wimbledon and the US Open
In total, she won 589 titles throughout her career and entered the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 1978.
Four years ago, Bueno also received the Anchieta medal and the Diploma of Gratitude of Sao Paulo, the highest distinction of the city in which she was born.
The following year, she received a tribute at the opening of the Olympic Tennis Centre in her name at the Olympic Games in Rio.
“I don’t have words to express my gratitude and how much I’m happy,” Bueno said in 2015.
“This is one of the happiest days of my life and, without doubt, one of the greatest honours I’ve ever received in my life.
“I’m tremendously excited. I can’t tell you how much it means being able to put my name in a wonderful Stadium, an Olympic Stadium.
“I’m sure the Olympics in Brazil will be the best in the world. Everyone asked if the games would be ready, nobody trusted us.”
The tennis icon was the poster child of one of the sponsors of the Olympics and led the Olympic flame in the torch relay in July 2016 as well as participating in the closing ceremony in which she proudly carried the flag during the Brazilian national anthem.
Over the past two decades she has been a tireless ambassador of the sport she loved and commentated on TV Globo/SporTV, her latest appearance being in February this year when she did the transmission of the Rio Open.
Bueno always said that she liked to give the backstory of the players, the events and the game instead of doing a review of the matches.
It made perfect sense to a legend of the game, who turned tennis into a ballet.
Maria Esther Bueno is now an eternal icon of Brazilian sport.
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Lovely gifted graceful player. A lovely graceful lady too.
I know who you meant now Judy. Xxx ?
I started watching Wimbledon in 1964 and loved watching Maria play.?
A joy to watch-power,elegance & grace.
RIP Maria?
RIP ? a true legend x
What’d her win Wimbledon such an elegant player RIP xx
A fantastic player.very elegant .a very attractive lady.May she R.I.P.
Watching her play was a joy. Maria was always an elegant player. Sad news.
How very sad to hear she has died! she was a very elegant player and my favourite female player of the time.
Very sad to hear
She was the forerunner of today’s ladies tennis.
A sad day for tennis: 🙁
R.I.P.
RIP
My condolences to her family I watched her play (on the t.v.)many times and she was lovely
R. I. P Maria at peace now ?
Gifted athlete- Elegantly & graceful. RIP Lady M….
RIP Maria a beautiful tennis player x
She was my favourite back in the day. I loved her serve, not seen since in any other player. So sad.
A beautiful stylish champion, great to watch, so sad, RIP Maria
Remember her well RIP xxx
Sad news. One of the best earlier tennis legends
So sad to hear this an amazing tennis player.
RIP Maria?
My first tennis hero! RIP Maria Bueno.
Deepest respect. Thankyou for the memories.xx
Immense player and personality who I had the privilege of interviewing…sad news…
Rest in peace Maria,you truly were a great champion.
Such a graceful and talented player. A pleasure to watch and no grunting or screeching. Just pure tennis. She was my first idol. A true legend. R.I.P Maria.
R.i.p. Maria
R.I.P. Maria Bueno.A tennis legend.
R.i.p maria bueno she was the first woman tennis player I saw on the tv when I was 12
RIP. Maria.
The most elegant player to grace a court. I remember her shocking pink knickers one Wimbledon….but worn under a lovely tennis dress. She was about eighteen. She had a style of tennis that is sadly missing now.
Very sad. A brilliant tennis player, and her pink frilly pants caused a great stir at Wimbledon. R.I.P
Sue Streeter
Can’t believe you mentioned her last week. She was a wonderful ambassador for ladies tennis.
Sad to hear this news. She was a great tennis player and always wore beautiful tennis dresses that were legendary. RIP
I remember when I started to watch tennis she was graceful and a beautiful person her knickers were legionary but the grace shone thru rest in peace Maria you was a legion ??
So sorry to hear of this very sad news RIP Maria x
RIP To a Legend , you were one of the best , a true champion
Such sad news R.I.P.Maria lovely tennis player ??????
R.I.P Maria x
Sad….. I enjoyed watching Maria play RIP sweet lady ?
Ah she was lovelyxx
R.I.P Maria and name from bygone days who will be missed ?
R.I.P Maria.
RIP
So sad, she was a great tennis player ??
How sad ?
I remember her in the early days when I was just getting into tennis at about fifteen
a lovely girl and a wond er full tennis player
RIP Maria.So graceful.
She made hitting a tennis ball a work of art.
Always loved Maria Bueno!! Very feminine tennis player!!!
Sad news
A beautiful woman and a beautiful player, RIP Maria x
Great tennis player,gracious too
R I P bless you
Sad news
So sad ,great tennis player
Very sad news really liked her xx
Lovely lady
A legend
She was a wonderful tennis player!! R.I.P ????
So sad remember watching her play thoughts with her family
R. I .P Maria you will be sadly missed. You were a beautiful woman.
Along with Pele she ranks as one of the two greatest Brazilian sportsman/women. I was privileged to watch her play, if only on TV, and she brought grace, skill, joy and humility to the sport she loved.
Very sad RIP Maria, a joy to watch, so unlike the grunting ladies of today
So elegant, wonderful player R.I.P. Maria
Great tennis player RIP
?
Thoughts with all her family
One of my first tennis favourites, sad to hear she has died.
Sad to hear that Maria Bueno had died I remember watching her play and how she shocked Wimbledon by warding frilly knickers she bought fashion to the sport RIP x
Very sad
She gave us a lot of pleasure over th last years. She will be sadly missed.
RIP Maria. I too enjoyed watching you play, especially the year that you won Wimbledon. ?
Oh how sad..what glamour and grace she brought to the game…beautiful to watch!
RIP most elegant player
I remember watching Maria play when I was growing up, never thought there would be a better player but with the evolution of time, improved racquets, and super fitness has changed the game so much together with much improved courts.
Lovely player
Wonderful player, so sad
Lovely player.
Really sad news, loved watching her playing.
So sad bless her and her family.
I loved watching Maria play, she was so elegant & graceful. Very sad news.
Sad news of the death of a fabulous tennis player,was an absolute joy to watch,not like today’s grunters and groaner!she played with such elegance,R I P,xxx
RIP Maria an elegant tennis player x
I watched her for YEARS.R.I.P. MARIA.
Loved watching her play back in the day, exciting, great mover xx
Sad news. She was a beautiful tennis player and lady. Remember her well.
So tragic – what a tennis player she was – so gifted ?
She played the most beautiful tennis. ?
I am very sad to hear that. The most graceful tennis player of all.
She was a great player
A legend from my childhood.
I had the great privilege of seeing her play many times.
I also met her on more than one occasion, she was always very gracious and friendly, although she struck me as being rather shy.
She was such a graceful player to watch and her demeanor was exemplary. A Sad loss to the tennis world.
One of my very favourites – so elegant and no screeching!
Grace Thomson I so agree,
Watching a game at the moment with the sound down, and iam very deaf
RIP, watched you many times.xxxx
A graceful player. Always a pleasure to watch.
Sorry to hear of Maria Bueno’s death. What a lovely lady and a wonderfully elegant and talented player.
Mhsriep
One of the best R.I.P Maria. X
Not the best player of the day , but the most elegant, envied by many, a great lady
Absolute Legend RIP x
R,I,P, a wonderful tennis player!!!!
One of my all time favourite players. Very sad. R.I.P. Maria. ?
Great player.RIP Maria
I remember watching her when I was very young a beautiful player so elegant and talented, sad news.
R.I.P.
RIP
Wonderful tennis player, a joy to watch
Brilliant player.So sad.RIP.xx
RIP
Very sad a tennis legend.RIP
Loved watching Maria Bueno as her tennis was so elegant & delightful to watch…RIP
Beautiful lady so elegant on and off the court lived her frilly knickers RIP xxx
So sad. Loved watching her. RIP. ?
God bless
Lovely player. RIP Maria
Aw so sad to hear this. I loved watching her. She was so graceful. RIP.
Sad R I P
I can remember watching her on tv at Wimbledon so sad ??
One of the greats to grace tennis courts around the globe. RIP
Great tennis player RIP
Rest in Peace Maria. Loved watching you play. You were so elegant, almost like a ballet dancer, and a true ambassador for this wonderful game. I am 67 now but I still watch ALL the majors and I love it. ??????????⭐️⭐️
Same here, my Tennis heroine when I was young, my favourite player to watch, so sad. RIP
Always looked so happy, a great role model for any up and coming ladies tennis player. RIP Maria. ♥️
RIP xx
Maria Bueno was my Tennis heroine when I was a young girl – a beautiful player
So enjoyed watching her. Like a ballet dancer. RIP.
A lovely tennis player, so elegant & gracious RIP a true ambassador for the game
So sad. She was the winner I saw on my first visit to Wimbledon. A very graceful player. RIP.
RIP lady ???
R i p. Marvellous tennis player
Rest in peace!
Very sad x
She hooked me on to tennis.what a player so talented and so so elegant and feminine. Rip Maria xxxxx
Asleep with the angels ????????
Maria was the 1st Lady player I saw play at Wimbledon in the 60s…loved her style grace & fashion …she was always smiling…a great role model ?
thats sad news. Rest ín peace
RIP Maria , such an elegant player and lady . <3
Wonderful tennis player classy lady so sad rest in peace Maria x