Arantxa Sánchez Vicario

Arantxa Sánchez Vicario¹ (born December 18, 1971) is a former tennis player from Barcelona, Spain. She is the sister of Javier and Emilio Sánchez , also professional tennis players.

In 1989, the then virtually unknown Sánchez Vicario joined Michael Chang of the United States in making tennis history: At the age of seventeen, both players became the youngest ever to win the French Open titles, Sánchez Vicario winning the women's version one day before Chang's men's championship.

Sánchez Vicario went on to become the number one player in the world by 1995, and she returned to that spot several times before the end of her career, in the process becoming one of the few women to have been ranked number one in singles and doubles. After her brother Emilio retired, he became her coach. She competed in the Olympic Games five times, a record for a tennis player, and the four medals she won made her the most-medalled Spaniard in Games history.

Sánchez-Vicario is known for her tenacious fighting spirit and willingness to scamper around the court, refusing to concede a point. Though Steffi Graf dominated their rivalry, Sánchez-Vicario won many battles by engaging the powerful German in long baseline rallies and winning the war of attrition. Her most notable victories over Graf are the 1989 French Championships and 1994's Canadian and U.S. Opens.

In total, Sánchez Vicario won 29 singles titles (4 Grand Slams) and 69 doubles titles (6 women's doubles Grand Slams and 4 mixed doubles Grand Slams). She also contested 8 further Grand Slam finals, reaching the final at every Grand Slam at least twice during her career.

Affectionately known as "The Barcelona Bumblebee", Sánchez Vicario "stung" all the major competitors of her era, including fellow world number ones Chris Evert, Martina Navratilova, Steffi Graf, Monica Seles, Martina Hingis, Serena Williams, Venus Williams, Lindsay Davenport, Jennifer Capriati, Amelie Mauresmo and Justine Henin-Hardenne.

Sánchez Vicario got married, and soon after, in November 2002, she shocked many tennis experts and fans by announcing her retirement from the courts. In 2004 however, Sánchez Vicario returned to professional tennis, playing doubles in selected events throughout the year and is expected to do the same in 2005.

Note

¹ Vicario is not her married name. It is her mother's maiden name; in the Spanish naming system, the mother's maiden name follows the family name. When she started her professional career, she was known as Sánchez, but later requested that her mother's maiden name be added.

Grand Slam titles (4)

1989   Roland Garros            Steffi Graf                  7-6, 3-6, 7-5 
1994   Roland Garros            Mary Pierce                  6-4, 6-4
1994   U.S Open                 Steffi Graf                  1-6, 7-6, 6-4 
1998   Roland Garros            Monica Seles                 7-6, 0-6, 6-2

External Links

Official WTA Tour Profile