Arantxa Sánchez Vicario¹ (b. December 18, 1971 in Barcelona, Spain) is a former World No. 1 professional tennis player from Spain. During her career, she won four Grand Slam singles titles and six Grand Slam doubles titles. December 18 is the 352nd day of the year (353rd in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar. ... 1971 is a common year starting on Friday (click for link to calendar). ... Barcelona within Barcelonès Population (2003) 1,582,738 Area 1004 Km2 Population density (2001) 15,764/Km2 Barcelona is the capital of Catalonia, an autonomous region in northeastern Spain (41°23′ N 2°11′ E). ... Tennis is a racquet sport played between either two players (singles) or two teams of two players (doubles). Player(s) use a stringed racquet to strike a hollow rubber ball over a net into the opponents court. ... A Grand Slam is a term in tennis used to denote winning all four of the following championship titles in the same year: Australian Open French Open Wimbledon U.S. Open These tournaments are therefore also known as the Grand Slam tournaments, and rank as the most important tennis tournaments...

She started playing tennis at age four, when she would follow her older brothers Emilio Sánchez and Javier Sánchez (both of whom went on to become top male players) to the court and hit balls against the wall with her first racquet. Emilio Sánchez (b. ... Javier Sánchez (b. ...

Sánchez Vicario shocked the tennis world in 1989 when, as a virtually unknown 17-year-old, she defeated World No. 1 Steffi Graf in the final to become the youngest-ever winner of the women's singles title at the French Open. (The record was broken the following year by Monica Seles, who won the title at age 16.) 1989 is a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Steffi Graf honored at the WTA. Stefanie Maria Graf (born June 14, 1969 in Mannheim, Germany) is a former tennis player, considered to be the greatest female player in history. ... The French Open, officially the Tournoi de Roland-Garros (English: Roland Garros Tournament), is a tennis event held from the middle of May to the beginning of June in Paris, France, and is the second of the worlds Grand Slam tournaments. ... Monica Seles (born December 2, 1973), originally Monika Seleš, is an accomplished female tennis player and the winner of many tournaments including nine Grand Slam titles. ...

Sánchez-Vicario quickly developed a reputation on the tour for her tenacious fighting spirit and willingness to scamper around the court, refusing to concede a point. Affectionately known as the "Barcelona Bumblebee", she "stung" all the major competitors of her era.

Sánchez Vicario's most successful year as a singles player was 1994, when she won both the French Open and US Open titles. (She won a total of eight tournaments that year.) 1994 was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar, and was designated the International year of the Family. ... The U.S. Open is the fourth and final event of the Grand Slam in tennis. ...

Her fourth Grand Slam title was won in 1998 at the French Open. 1998 is a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar, and was designated the International Year of the Ocean. ...

She was a singles finalist in all four the Grand Slams at least twice. She was a Grand Slam singles runner-up eight times in addition to her four wins.

Sánchez Vicario became the World No. 1 singles player in 1995 (for 12 weeks) and, in doing so, became the first woman since Martina Navratilova in 1987 to simultaneously hold the No. 1 ranking in both singles and doubles. 1995 was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Navratilova at the 2000 US Open Martina Navrátilová  listen (born October 18, 1956) is a Czech-born American tennis player. ... 1987 is a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Sánchez Vicario won the women's doubles titles at the US Open in 1993 (with Conchita Martinez), and at Wimbledon in 1995 (with Jana Novotna). She also won four Grand Slam mixed doubles titles. 1993 is a common year starting on Friday of the Gregorian calendar and marked the Beginning of the International Decade to Combat Racism and Racial Discrimination (1993-2003) Events Media:January January 1 - Czechoslovakia divides. ... Conchita Mart nez (born April 16, 1972) is a Spanish professional tennis player. ... Wimbledon logo Wimbledon is the oldest and for many most prestigious event in the sport of tennis. ... 1995 was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Novotná at the 1998 US Open Jana Novotná (born October 2, 1968 in Brno, Czech Republic) is a former professional Czech tennis player. ...

In 1991, Sánchez Vicario helped Spain win its first-ever Fed Cup title, defeating the United States in the final. She was a member of Spanish teams which won the Fed Cup four further times in 1993, 1994, 1995 and 1998. Sánchez Vicario holds the record for the most singles and doubles wins by any player in Fed Cup competition, with 72 victories. She also holds the records for most ties played (58), and most years played (16). 1991 is a common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The Fed Cup (until 1995 Federation Cup) is the most important tennis tournament for female national teams, very similar to the mens Davis Cup. ...

Sánchez Vicario was a also member of the Spanish teams which won the Hopman Cup in 1990 and 2002. The Hopman Cup is an annual international team tennis tournament held in Perth, Western Australia in early-January (sometimes commencing in late-December) each year. ... 1990 is a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar. ... 2002 is a common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

She represented Spain at the Olympic Games five times, and won two silver and two bronze medals. For months before the Olympic Games, runners relay the Olympic Flame from Olympia to the opening ceremony. ...

Over the course of her career, Sánchez Vicario won 29 singles titles and 69 doubles titles. Sánchez Vicario got married in 2002, and announced her retirement from the game shortly after. However she made a return in 2004, playing in selected doubles events. 2004 is a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

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. A maiden name is the family name previously carried by a woman who is now married and uses her husbands name. ... In Spanish-, Portuguese-, and Catalan-speaking regions of the world, people have two surnames. ...

Grand Slam titles

Wins (4)

 Year Championship Opponent in Final Score in Final 1989 French Open Steffi Graf 7-6, 3-6, 7-5 1994 French Open Mary Pierce 6-4, 6-4 1994 US Open Steffi Graf 1-6, 7-6, 6-4 1998 French Open Monica Seles 7-6, 0-6, 6-2 

Runner-ups (8)

 Year Championship Opponent in Final Score in Final 1991 French Open Monica Seles 6-3, 6-4 1992 US Open Monica Seles 6-3, 6-3 1994 Australian Open Steffi Graf 6-0, 6-2 1995 Australian Open Mary Pierce 6-3, 6-2 1995 French Open Steffi Graf 7-5, 4-6, 6-0 1995 Wimbledon Steffi Graf 4-6, 6-1, 7-5 1996 French Open Steffi Graf 6-3, 6-7, 10-8 1996 Wimbledon Steffi Graf 6-3, 7-5 

External Links

• Official WTA Tour Profile (http://www.wtatour.com/players/playerprofiles/playerbio.asp?PlayerID=190008)
• Unofficial Fan Site (http://members.tripod.com/~CMSTRONG/)