Ricardo De Zevallos

Ricardo De Zevallos was the eldest of seven children born to parents who were part of the political hierarchy of Peruvian society. His father served as a senator, Minister of Foreign Relations and President of the Peruvian Supreme Court as well as serving as a diplomat in France, Italy and the UK and both grandfathers served at the highest reaches of the government.

He followed in his father’s footsteps by training to become a lawyer but first came to prominence as an athlete whilst studying in France. As a teenager in 1890 he ran 11.2 seconds for the 100 metres and was French champion over 400 metres that year. De Zevallos won both events at the 1891 French Championships. He seems to have to disappeared from the track shortly afterwards but re-emerged as a tennis player around 1896 playing mainly in minor handicap events.