Former tennis World No. 1 Arantxa Sánchez Vicario lost her reported €52 million career fortune and narrowly avoided a prison sentence after trusting her former husband with her finances, according to a recent interview on the Spanish television show Universo Callejo. The four-time Grand Slam champion revealed that she surrendered control of her earnings because she trusted him completely as the father of her children, leaving her to shoulder massive bank debts alone.
The Trial, Suspended Sentence, and Debt Repayment
According to court records, Sánchez Vicario went on trial alongside her now-ex-husband, Josep Santacana, on accusations of hiding assets to avoid paying historical bank debts dating back to the early 1990s. The Spanish court handed the tennis star a two-year suspended jail sentence. To avoid prison time, Sánchez Vicario accepted a judge’s order to pay 50 percent of all future earnings toward a nearly €9 million debt owed to a bank in Luxembourg.
“I am complying when deep down I was a victim,” Sánchez Vicario said on Universo Callejo, describing the ordeal as a major shock that required therapy. “It was like waking up from a dream and thinking, ‘This can’t be happening to me.’” Today, she works as a tennis coach in the United States and continues to direct half of her wages toward satisfying the court-ordered debt.
Blaming a Blind Trust in Marriage
Reflecting on the collapse of her finances after an 11-year marriage, Sánchez Vicario stated that she focused exclusively on her athletic career and lacked the knowledge to handle her own wealth. “I trusted him because he was the father of my children,” she said. “I fell blindly in love… he really isn’t the person I thought he was.” She added that she never managed her money personally, and ultimately “the money vanished.”
Did you know?
Arantxa Sánchez Vicario won three French Open titles, with her first coming in 1989 when she was just 17 years old. The International Tennis Hall of Fame inductee captured 4 Grand Slam singles titles, 6 women’s doubles titles, and 4 mixed doubles titles in total.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much did Arantxa Sánchez Vicario lose?
Sánchez Vicario estimated her lost fortune to be approximately €52 million earned during her professional tennis career.
Why did she avoid prison?
She avoided serving a two-year jail sentence by agreeing to a judicial order requiring her to pay 50 percent of her future earnings toward a nearly €9 million debt owed to a bank in Luxembourg.
What is Arantxa Sánchez Vicario doing now?
She currently works as a tennis coach in the United States while continuing to pay half of her wages toward her legal debt obligations.
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