When Jose was awarded the ATP Sportsmanship Award at the ATP Gala in January 1984, he displayed a sense of irony and a sense of humor. "I've been giving away points for almost 20 years," Higueras said, "it's about time they gave me something for it." The catch phrase for his long and lucrative career, has been fair and steady play. His game is rooted in patience, anchored firmly to the baseline. If one hopes to beat the elegant Spaniard, one had best be prepared for an all-day task. Jose is also a bit of a philosopher; "Life is strange," he once observed, reflecting upon the developments in his own career.

He was born on an olive plantation in Granada, Spain, where his father raised his brood in a stone barn. When the family moved to Barcelona, settling in one of the poorer sections, the only job available to Jose was that of a ballboy at the posh Real Tennis Club. Although prohibited from taking formal lessons, Higueras learned the game in his free time. His talent was recognized when the club needed a "sacrifice" to play a highly touted player in an inter-club match. Jose was thrown to the wolves. When he won the match, he realized tennis could be a means to a better life for himself and his family.

These days Jose moves in decidedly different circles, residing in Palm Springs, where his father-in-law is the mayor. But it has been anything but a walk in the park as he has sustained some rather bizarre injuries in his career. In 1975, he broke his arm in a fall during a match at the French Open. In 1980, after his finest year to that point, he contracted hepatitis, the effects of which lingered for nearly two years. For a player whose foremost weapon is stamina, there was the fear that he might not ever play as well again. Higueras dispelled those qualms during the 1982 German Open, when he defeated Peter McNamara to win the singles title in a five hour, six minute marathon. Residence: Barcelona, Spain/Palm Springs, California. Wife, Donna; son, Jordi; daughter, Jenna.

Best Grand Slam Results: French Open: SF in 1983, '82, QF in 1979, '77. Qualified for the Masters of 1984/82/80.