# Arantxa Sánchez Vicario

Aránzazu Isabel María "Arantxa" Sánchez Vicario (Spanish pronunciation:; born 18 December 1971) is a Spanish former professional tennis player. She was ranked as the world No. 1 in women's singles by the Women's Tennis Association (WTA) for 12 weeks, as well as the world No. 1 in women's doubles for 111 weeks. A defensive baseliner, Sánchez Vicario won 29 WTA Tour-level singles titles and 69 doubles titles, including 14 major titles: four in singles, six in women's doubles, and four in mixed doubles. She also won four Olympic medals and five Fed Cup titles representing Spain. In 1994, Sánchez Vicario was crowned the ITF World Champion of the year.

## Career

Arantxa Sánchez Vicario started playing tennis at the age of four, when she followed her older brothers Emilio Sánchez and Javier Sánchez (both of whom became professional players) to the court and hit balls against the wall with her first racquet. As a 17-year-old, she became the youngest winner of the women's singles title at the 1989 French Open, defeating World No. 1 Steffi Graf in the final. (Monica Seles broke the record the following year when she won the title at age 16.)
Sánchez Vicario quickly developed a reputation on the tour for her tenacity and refusal to concede a point. Commentator Bud Collins described her as "unceasing in determined pursuit of tennis balls, none seeming too distant to be retrieved in some manner and returned again and again to demoralize opponents" and nicknamed her the "Barcelona Bumblebee".
She won six women's doubles Grand Slam titles, including the US Open in 1993 (with Helena Suková) and Wimbledon in 1995 (with Jana Novotná). She also won four Grand Slam mixed doubles titles. In 1991, she helped Spain win its first-ever Fed Cup title, and helped Spain win the Fed Cup in 1993, 1994, 1995, and 1998. Sánchez Vicario holds the records for the most matches won by a player in Fed Cup competition (72) and for most ties played (58). She was ITF world champion in 1994 in singles. She was also a member of the Spanish teams that won the Hopman Cup in 1990 and 2002.
Over the course of her career, she won 29 singles titles and 69 doubles titles before retiring in November 2002. She came out of retirement in 2004 to play doubles in a few select tournaments as well as the 2004 Summer Olympics, where she became the only tennis player to play in five Olympics in the Games' history. Sánchez Vicario was the most decorated Olympian in Spanish history with four medals—two silver and two bronze. Her medal count has since been surpassed by David Cal and Saúl Craviotto with five medals each.
In 2005, TENNIS magazine ranked her in 27th place in its list of 40 Greatest Players of the TENNIS era and in 2007, she was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame. She was only the third Spanish player (and the first Spanish woman) to be inducted.
In 2009, Sánchez Vicario was present at the opening ceremony of Madrid's Caja Mágica, the new venue for the Madrid Masters. The second show court is named Court Arantxa Sánchez Vicario in her honour.

## Personal life

She has been married twice: her first marriage to the sports writer Juan Vehils in July 2000 ended in 2001. She then married businessman Josep Santacana in September 2008, with whom she has a daughter (born 2009) and son (born 2011). In 2019, Sánchez Vicario and Santacana divorced.
In 2012, Sánchez Vicario published an autobiography in which she claimed that, despite having earned $60 million over the course of her career, her parents had exerted almost total control over her finances and lost all of her money. The same year, Sánchez Vicario sued her father and older brother Javier for the alleged mishandling of her career earnings. The court case continued over three years and in 2015 concluded in a private settlement.
She has faced multiple court proceedings relating to charges of tax evasion and fraud. Between 1989 and 1993, she had falsely claimed to be resident of Andorra for tax purposes but was actually residing in Barcelona, Spain. As a result, she was ordered to pay back taxes and penalties. In 2009, Sánchez Vicario was found guilty of tax evasion and ordered to repay €3.5 million. In 2015, Banque de Luxembourg successfully filed complaint against her for credit and property fraud amounting to $5.2 million; however, they were unable to recoup it. In 2018, Sánchez Vicario was once again charged with fraud, for deliberately misleading the courts on her financial set-up during the previous case. As of 2021, Barcelona prosecutors are seeking a four-year jail term for Sánchez Vicario, due to further allegations of fraud relating to the transfer of assets to avoid paying her debts from a previous lawsuit. In 2024, she received a suspended sentence.
As well as tennis-playing siblings Javier and Emilio, Sánchez Vicario also has an older sister—Marisa—who briefly played professional tennis, peaking at world no. 368 in 1990.

## Career statistics
### Grand Slam performance timelines

Key :
| W | F | SF | QF | #R | RR | Q# | P# | DNQ | A | Z# | PO | G | S | B | NMS | NTI | P | NH |

#### Singles

| Tournament | 1986 | 1987 | 1988 | 1989 | 1990 | 1991 | 1992 | 1993 | 1994 | 1995 | 1996 | 1997 | 1998 | 1999 | 2000 | 2001 | 2002 | SR | W–L |
| Australian Open | NH | A | A | A | A | SF | SF | SF | F | F | QF | 3R | QF | 2R | QF | A | 1R | 0 / 11 | 41–11 |
| French Open | Q1 | QF | QF | W | 2R | F | SF | SF | W | F | F | QF | W | SF | SF | 2R | 1R | 3 / 16 | 72–13 |
| Wimbledon | A | 1R | 1R | QF | 1R | QF | 2R | 4R | 4R | F | F | SF | QF | 2R | 4R | 2R | A | 0 / 15 | 41–15 |
| US Open | A | 1R | 4R | QF | SF | QF | F | SF | W | 4R | 4R | QF | QF | 4R | 4R | 3R | 1R | 1 / 16 | 56–15 |
| Win–loss | 0–0 | 4–3 | 7–3 | 15–2 | 6–3 | 19–4 | 16–4 | 18–4 | 23–2 | 21–4 | 19–4 | 15–4 | 19–3 | 9-4 | 15–4 | 4–3 | 0–3 | 4 / 58 | 210–54 |

#### Doubles

| Tournament | 1987 | 1988 | 1989 | 1990 | 1991 | 1992 | 1993 | 1994 | 1995 | 1996 | 1997 | 1998 | 1999 | 2000 | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | Career SR |
| Australian Open | A | A | A | A | 3R | W | QF | SF | W | W | SF | QF | QF | 1R | A | F | A | A | A | 3 / 11 |
| French Open | 3R | 1R | QF | QF | SF | F | QF | A | F | SF | SF | SF | QF | 1R | 1R | 1R | A | 1R | 1R | 0 / 17 |
| Wimbledon | 1R | 1R | 1R | QF | QF | SF | QF | F | W | QF | QF | QF | 3R | 3R | QF | A | A | 1R | A | 1 / 16 |
| US Open | 2R | 2R | 1R | QF | 3R | SF | W | W | QF | F | SF | 3R | SF | 3R | QF | 1R | A | A | A | 2 / 16 |
| Grand Slam SR | 0 / 3 | 0 / 3 | 0 / 3 | 0 / 3 | 0 / 4 | 1 / 4 | 1 / 4 | 1 / 3 | 2 / 4 | 1 / 4 | 0 / 4 | 0 / 4 | 0 / 4 | 0 / 4 | 0 / 3 | 0 / 3 | 0 / 0 | 0 / 2 | 0 / 1 | 6 / 60 |

### Grand Slam finals
#### Singles: 12 (4 titles, 8 runners-up)

| Result | Year | Championship | Surface | Opponent | Score |
| Win | 1989 | French Open | Clay | Steffi Graf | 7–6$^{(8–6)}$, 3–6, 7–5 |
| Loss | 1991 | French Open | Clay | Monica Seles | 3–6, 4–6 |
| Loss | 1992 | US Open | Hard | Monica Seles | 3–6, 3–6 |
| Loss | 1994 | Australian Open | Hard | Steffi Graf | 0–6, 2–6 |
| Win | 1994 | French Open | Clay | Mary Pierce | 6–4, 6–4 |
| Win | 1994 | US Open | Hard | Steffi Graf | 1–6, 7–6$^{(7–3)}$, 6–4 |
| Loss | 1995 | Australian Open | Hard | Mary Pierce | 3–6, 2–6 |
| Loss | 1995 | French Open | Clay | Steffi Graf | 5–7, 6–4, 0–6 |
| Loss | 1995 | Wimbledon | Grass | Steffi Graf | 6–4, 1–6, 5–7 |
| Loss | 1996 | French Open | Clay | Steffi Graf | 3–6, 7–6$^{(7–4)}$, 8–10 |
| Loss | 1996 | Wimbledon | Grass | Steffi Graf | 3–6, 5–7 |
| Win | 1998 | French Open | Clay | Monica Seles | 7–6$^{(7–5)}$, 0–6, 6–2 |

#### Doubles: 11 (6 titles, 5 runners-up)

| Result | Year | Championship | Surface | Partner | Opponents | Score |
| Win | 1992 | Australian Open | Hard | Helena Suková | Mary Joe Fernandez Zina Garrison | 6–4, 7–6$^{(7–3)}$ |
| Loss | 1992 | French Open | Clay | Conchita Martínez | Gigi Fernández Natasha Zvereva | 3–6, 2–6 |
| Win | 1993 | US Open | Hard | Helena Suková | Amanda Coetzer Inés Gorrochategui | 6–4, 6–2 |
| Loss | 1994 | Wimbledon | Grass | Jana Novotná | Gigi Fernández Natasha Zvereva | 4–6, 1–6 |
| Win | 1994 | US Open | Hard | Jana Novotná | Katerina Maleeva Robin White | 6–3, 6–3 |
| Win | 1995 | Australian Open | Hard | Jana Novotná | Gigi Fernández Natasha Zvereva | 6–3, 6–7$^{(3–7)}$, 6–4 |
| Loss | 1995 | French Open | Clay | Jana Novotná | Gigi Fernández Natasha Zvereva | 7–6$^{(8–6)}$, 4–6, 5–7 |
| Win | 1995 | Wimbledon | Grass | Jana Novotná | Gigi Fernández Natasha Zvereva | 5–7, 7–5, 6–4 |
| Win | 1996 | Australian Open | Hard | Chanda Rubin | Lindsay Davenport Mary Joe Fernandez | 7–5, 2–6, 6–4 |
| Loss | 1996 | US Open | Hard | Jana Novotná | Gigi Fernández Natasha Zvereva | 6–1, 1–6, 4–6 |
| Loss | 2002 | Australian Open | Hard | Daniela Hantuchová | Martina Hingis Anna Kournikova | 2–6, 7–6$^{(7–4)}$, 1–6 |

#### Mixed doubles: 8 (4 titles, 4 runners-up)

| Result | Year | Championship | Surface | Partner | Opponents | Score |
| Loss | 1989 | French Open | Clay | Horacio de la Peña | Manon Bollegraf Tom Nijssen | 3–6, 7–6, 2–6 |
| Win | 1990 | French Open | Clay | Jorge Lozano | Nicole Provis Danie Visser | 7–6, 7–6 |
| Loss | 1991 | US Open | Hard | Emilio Sánchez | Manon Bollegraf Tom Nijssen | 2–6, 6–7 |
| Loss | 1992 | Australian Open | Hard | Todd Woodbridge | Nicole Provis Mark Woodforde | 3–6, 6–4, 9–11 |
| Win | 1992 | French Open | Clay | Todd Woodbridge | Lori McNeil Bryan Shelton | 6–2, 6–3 |
| Win | 1993 | Australian Open | Hard | Todd Woodbridge | Zina Garrison Rick Leach | 7–5, 6–4 |
| Loss | 2000 | Australian Open | Hard | Todd Woodbridge | Rennae Stubbs Jared Palmer | 5–7, 6–7 |
| Win | 2000 | US Open | Hard | Jared Palmer | Anna Kournikova Max Mirnyi | 6–4, 6–3 |

### Summer Olympics
#### Singles: 2 medals (1 silver medal, 1 bronze medal)

| Result | Year | Championship | Surface | Opponent | Score |
| Bronze | 1992 | Barcelona | Clay | Tied | DNP |
| Silver | 1996 | Atlanta | Hard | Lindsay Davenport | 6–7$^{(8–10)}$, 2–6 |
Note: Arantxa Sánchez Vicario lost in the semi-finals to Jennifer Capriati 3–6, 6–3, 1–6. In 1992, there was no bronze medal play-off match, both beaten semi-final players received bronze medals

#### Doubles: 2 medals (1 silver medal, 1 bronze medal)

| Result | Year | Championship | Surface | Partner | Opponents | Score |
| Silver | 1992 | Barcelona | Clay | Conchita Martínez | Gigi Fernández Mary Joe Fernandez | 5–7, 6–2, 2–6 |
| Bronze | 1996 | Atlanta | Hard | Conchita Martínez | Manon Bollegraf Brenda Schultz | 6–3, 6–1 |

### Year-end championships finals
#### Singles: 1 (1 runner-up)

| Result | Year | Championship | Surface | Opponent | Score |
| Loss | 1993 | New York City | Carpet | Steffi Graf | 1–6, 4–6, 6–3, 1–6 |

#### Doubles: 6 (2 titles, 4 runners-up)

| Result | Year | Championship | Surface | Partner | Opponents | Score |
| Loss | 1990 | New York City | Carpet | Mercedes Paz | Kathy Jordan Elizabeth Smylie | 6–7$^{(4–7)}$, 4–6 |
| Win | 1992 | New York City | Carpet | Helena Suková | Larisa Neiland Jana Novotná | 7–6$^{(7–4)}$, 6–1 |
| Loss | 1994 | New York City | Carpet | Jana Novotná | Gigi Fernández Natasha Zvereva | 3–6, 7–6$^{(7–4)}$, 3–6 |
| Win | 1995 | New York City | Carpet | Jana Novotná | Gigi Fernández Natasha Zvereva | 6–2, 6–1 |
| Loss | 1996 | New York City | Carpet | Jana Novotná | Lindsay Davenport Mary Joe Fernandez | 3–6, 2–6 |
| Loss | 1999 | New York City | Carpet | Larisa Neiland | Martina Hingis Anna Kournikova | 4–6, 4–6 |