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

Controversial headlines
Born in Barcelona
In her brothers's footsteps
Young prodigy
Winning French Open at 17
Four Grand Slam titles in singles
Succesful in doubles
Multiple mixed doubles champion
Fed Cup and Hopman Cup winner
Olympics
Five Summer Olympics
Coaching
Divorced twice
Sueing father and brother
Tax evasion and fraud
Two years
Living in Florida
Giving tennis lessons
What will the future bring?
Controversial headlines

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.

Born in Barcelona

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

In her brothers's footsteps

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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Young prodigy

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

Winning French Open at 17

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

"Barcelona Bumblebee"

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

Four Grand Slam titles in singles

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.

Succesful in doubles

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

Multiple mixed doubles champion

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.

Fed Cup and Hopman Cup winner

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.

Olympics

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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Five Summer Olympics

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.

Coaching

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

Divorced twice

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.

Sueing father and brother

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.

Tax evasion and fraud

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.

Two years

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.

Living in Florida

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

Giving tennis lessons

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

What will the future bring?

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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