She made history on the tennis court and was one of the biggest rivals of the German player of the century Steffi Graf – outside of the court she has repeatedly written less nice headlines in recent years.
31 years ago today, Arantxa Sánchez Vicario became the first Spanish woman to top the world tennis rankings. After the end of her successful career, the second life of the now 54-year-old was full of unpleasant turbulence.
About two years ago, she avoided a bitter low point when she went to court to avoid being sentenced to four years in prison. She has been through a lot in the past few years and decades, and not a little, apparently due to bad influences in her immediate family circle.
Arantxa Sánchez Vicario faced Steffi Graf in seven major finals
Sánchez Vicario, born on December 18, 1971 in Barcelona, followed her brothers Emilio and Javier into the professional circuit in 1985 and became the most successful representative of the tennis dynasty.
In 1989, the then 18-year-old Catalan surprised by ending Graf’s winning streak at major tournaments after Graf’s Golden Slam year in 1988: Sánchez Vicario, who was strong in fighting and counterattacks, defeated Graf in the final of the French Open – her first of four Grand Slam successes in singles.
In 1994 and 1998, Sánchez Vicario triumphed two more times at Roland Garros (with final successes over Mary Pierce and Monica Seles), and in 1994 she also won the final of the US Open against Graf – against whom she lost five more Grand Slam finals (once at the Australian Open, twice each in Paris and Wimbledon). Graf did not encounter any other rival more frequently on the big stage.
Many famous companions
Sánchez Vicario won six more Grand Slam titles in doubles – together with Helena Sukova, the late Jana Novotna and the American Chanda Rubin.
Sánchez Vicario was only the seventh player ever to reach number 1 in the WTA world rankings on February 6, 1995. She was at the top for eleven weeks – in doubles 111.
In total, Sánchez Vicario bagged 29 titles over the course of her career and also celebrated final victories over numerous other top stars such as Gabriela Sabatini, Martina Navratilova and the young Venus Williams – there were also a few duels against Serena Williams between 1998 and 2000. Sánchez Vicario also celebrated success at the Olympics, winning two silver and bronze medals in her hometown of Barcelona in 1992 and in Atlanta in 1996, in singles and doubles with compatriot Conchita Martinez.
She ended her career in 2002 – but apparently wasn’t able to reap much of the fruits of her labor.
All assets allegedly embezzled
In a biography published in 2012, she accused her parents of having spent the entire income of her career (around 56 million euros), she sued her father Emilio Sr. and brother Javier for embezzlement, and the case ended with an out-of-court settlement.
The relationship within the family remained shattered after the death of Arantxa’s father in 2016: when she and her then husband Josep Santacana wanted to visit the final resting place, there were ugly scenes. Santacana was insulted by the other relatives and asked to leave, it is said that there was almost a fight with Javier, and mother Marisa fainted.
Arantxa was also ultimately thrown out; her brother Emilio – with whom the relationship is intact – explained that her husband was seen as the cause of the unrest.
Sánchez Vicario – who moved to the USA in 2014 – was targeted by the judiciary several times over property and tax matters, and this ultimately led to a rift with Santacana, father of her two children Arantxa Jr. and Leo.
The businessman Santacana is now also accused by Sánchez Vicario of concealing his wife’s assets in order to avoid paying 7.5 million euros to a bank from which she had taken out loans because of her tax debts.
Because co-defendant Sánchez Vicario tearfully demonstrated in court that she had acted with malice and ignorance in financial matters, she got away with a suspended sentence. Her ex-husband was sentenced to three years and three months in prison.
