A journey to hell !

That's what Arantxa Sanchez-Vicario has been through in recent years, between the exorbitant sums she owes to tax authorities, a family dispute and a beyond-rancorous divorce from the father of her two children. It is a reality quite far removed from her life as a champion in her glory days. For Arantxa Sanchez-Vicario, tennis was a family affair with two brothers on the pro tour, Emilio (Top 10) and Javier (Top 25). Yet the youngest member of the family go on to become the best. The clay court specialist logically won her first title at Roland-Garros, defeating Steffi Graf in the final in 1989, when she was 17 years and 6 months old. It marked the beginning of a long rivalry and the Spaniard's omnipresence in Paris at her favourite tournament, where she played in six finals through 1998, winning three of them. But, with her unparalleled court coverage and tactical genius, Arantxa Sanchez-Vicario also had the reputation of never giving up on anything. That tenacity paid off, even on other surfaces. She won the U.S. Open in 1994 and appeared in two finals at the Australian Open and Wimbledon. Her last major victory came in Paris, of course, where she won against Monica Seles in 1998. To the great delight of her two little dogs, Roland and Garros!

Current projects

Director of the WTA tournament in Barcelona