The career and controversial life of former tennis icon Arantxa Sánchez Vicario

Arantxa Sánchez Vicario was one of the best tennis players of her generation, but made controversial headlines after her career. This is Sánchez Vicario's career and life story.

Sánchez Vicario was born in Barcelona on December 18, 1971.

She started playing tennis when she was four, like her brothers Emilio and Javier Sánchez, who also used to be professional tennis players.

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Sánchez Vicario showed her class from an early age and quickly proved herself at the highest level.

At the age of 17, she won the French Open in 1989, beating Germany's Steffi Graf.

Sánchez Vicario was known for her fighting spirit, and commentator Bud Collins nicknamed her the "Barcelona Bumblebee".

In total, Sánchez Vicario won four Grand Slam singles titles in her career, per WTA Tennis. She triumphed three times at the French Open and also won the US Open.

But she also excelled in doubles, winning no fewer than six Grand Slam titles.

Sánchez Vicario has also competed in mixed doubles, in which she has won four Grand Slam tournaments, bringing her total to an impressive 14 Grand Slam titles.

In addition to her Grand Slam successes, Sánchez Vicario has also triumphed in the Fed Cup and Hopman Cup, winning these two tournaments five and two times respectively.

The Spanish also represented her country at the Barcelona (1992) and Atlanta (1996) Olympics, winning two silver and two bronze medals.

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After a successful career, she retired for the first time in November 2002. In 2004, she made a comeback to compete in several doubles tournaments and the Athens Olympics, making her the only tennis player in history to have competed in five Summer Olympics.

After her active tennis career, Sánchez Vicario became coach of top Danish player Caroline Wozniacki (pictured).

In her private life, Sánchez Vicario has been divorced twice, having been married to sportswriter Juan Vehils and businessman Josep Santacana. With the latter, she has a daughter and a son.

The former elite tennis player made millions during her playing career, but in her 2012 autobiography she wrote that her parents ruined her, losing all her money. She ended up suing her father and brother, a case that was settled privately in 2015. She later publicly apologized to her family, saying she was manipulated by her second husband.

Sánchez Vicario has been the subject of several accusations of tax evasion and fraud. In 2009, he was sentenced to repay 3.5 million, and in 2021 the Barcelona Prosecutor's Office requested four years in prison for Sánchez Vicario and her second ex-husband for hiding assets to avoid paying a million-dollar debt to the Bank of Luxembourg.

Sánchez was eventually sentenced to two years in prison, while Josep Santacana got three years and three months. However, according to Spanish newspaper 'El País', she did not have to spend time behind bars if she did not commit any crime in the following two years.

Sánchez Vicario nowadays lives in Florida, with her two children, Arantxa and Leo.

Drawing on her career experience, she now teaches tennis at a school in Miami.

Sánchez Vicario seems to enjoy life outside the spotlight, with tennis always a constant factor in her life. What will the future hold for the former tennis superstar?

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