Pancho González. Rod Lever. Roger Federer.

Most tennis fans are very familiar with the last two tennis players, dominant superstars who have become legends of the sport.

Yet few have heard of Pancho González - the world's top tennis player from 1954 through the 1960s.

A salute to González held last week at the U.S. Open - 14 years after his death from cancer - helped to bring the player's story to tennis fans across the globe. With family members and Hispanic community leaders in attendance, actor Benjamin Bratt hosted a tribute to the now-deceased tennis phenom, who dominated the court at the peak of his lengthy career.

Officially, the U.S. Open is acknowledging the 60th anniversary of González's second consecutive victory at the U.S. Championships in Flushing Meadows, New York - the precursor to today's Grand Slam event.

Ricardo Alonso "Pancho" González is also a pioneer for Hispanic professional sports athletes. Raised in Los Angeles as the son of Mexican immigrants, González taught himself tennis by observing other players at Exposition Park. It's been said Pancho learned the game with a 51-cent racquet his mother purchased for him.

González frequently skipped school and was arrested for burglary at age 15. As a result, the posh upper-class white tennis clubs turned a blind eye toward González. From 1945 to 1947 he served in the U.S. Navy; he received a bad-conduct charge on his dismissal.

His natural tennis talent helped González overcome his penchant for bad behavior, but only after taking two years off for semi-retirement, during which he perfected his game.

At age 40, in 1968, the advent of the current Open system was inaugurated by the tennis world. While many of today's players are long-retired at that age, González - then semi-retired - played at the French Open, Wimbledon and the U.S. Open.

One year later, González played one of the greatest tennis matches ever. At Wimbledon, González faced Puerto Rican star Charlie Pasarell - a player 16 years younger than him. In a five-hour, 12-minute match that spanned two days due to darkness on the unlit court, González won the match 22-24, 1-6, 16-14, 6-3, 11-9. The match helped to usher in the current tiebreak system used through the tennis world.

González went on to the fourth round of the Wimbledon championships, where he was beaten in four sets by one Arthur Ashe. Now,  with a big crowd on hand at Arthur Ashe Stadium, González is getting the hero's treatment from the United States Tennis Association.

"The USTA is proud to celebrate the life and legacy of such a great champion as Pancho González" said USTA president Lucy Garvin. "Pancho was a true pioneer in the sport of tennis. This tribute will shed light on the importance of Pancho to the game and its history."

Bratt was joined by actor Jimmy Smits, Pasarell, former tennis champion Bobby Pérez, and ABC News journalist John Quiñones - among other dignitaries. He noted, "Pancho was a trailblazer, not only in tennis but across the greater American cultural landscape. He was a role model for a generation of Hispanic Americans, and this tribute will rightly call attention to his important and lasting legacy."

* González died on July 3, 1995, with little money in the bank. He was married six times - the final time to the sister of modern tennis great Andre Agassi. Agassi paid for González's funeral.

Pancho González: A Top-Dollar Talent
In 1960, at the top of his game, Pancho González earned roughly $75,000 a year - big money for pro athletes in those days. According to a May 1960 Sports Illustrated column, the top professional football player earned about $25,000, while the average National Hockey League and National Basketball Association player earned $9,500 a year.  While Major League Baseball players' averaged $13,000 a year, San Francisco Giants superstar outfielder Willie Mays was singled out for making a "rare" $75,000 salary - equal in pay to González.