Ecstatic Chileans celebrated Monday in the streets of Santiago after Chilean Marcelo Rios officially became the first Latin American tennis player to be ranked No. 1 in the world.
Rios’ straight-sets victory Sunday over Andre Agassi at the Lipton Championships in Key Biscayne, Fla., gave Chile a rare moment in the global sports spotlight.
“This is a victory for Chile as a nation–it puts us on the map,” said waitress Alejandra Hernandez, one of thousands of Chileans who took to the streets of Santiago to celebrate.
They partied into the early hours of Monday, honking horns, blowing trumpets, dancing and waving red, white and blue national flags.
Newspapers ran banner headlines to mark Rios’ 7-5, 6-3, 6-4 win in the Lipton final.
President Eduardo Frei said it was “a great honor for Chile.”
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Fans were hoping Rios would come home for a victory visit, but he said any trip to Chile would be “a surprise.”
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