Four-time Grand Slam winner Arantxa Sanchez-Vicario blames ex-husband for losing fortune

Wednesday, 22 July 2026 at 22:30

Arantxa Sánchez-Vicario at Roland Garros stands with French President.

Four-time Grand Slam winner Arantxa Sanchez Vicario has blamed her ex-husband for her losing her fortune as she has been left penniless after various travails over the years.

The former World No.1 was married to entrepreneur Josep Santacana for 11 years has lost her entire £31million earnings.

Sanchez Vicario and Santacana had a son and daughter together during their marriage between 2008 and 2019. They even went to trial in 2023 after being accused of hiding assets to avoid paying back a debt owed to the bank.

Sanchez Vicario was handed a two-year suspended prison sentence and was told to pay £5.5m worth of debt. She is paying that off while working as a tennis instructor in the USA, handing over 50% of her wages.

Sanchez-Vicario maintains innocence

However, the 54-year-old has blamed her ex-husband for the loss of her £31m tennis fortune. “I trusted him because he was the father of my children," said Sanchez-Vicario as per Universo Callejo. "I fell blindly in love... he really isn’t the person I thought he was.”

Asked about the £31m earnings, she continued. “It’s true, that’s the amount that appeared in the press. I focused on playing tennis and never handled my own financial affairs because I didn’t know how.

“I trusted my husband... and the money vanished. I was left to shoulder the entire burden.”

Arantxa Sánchez-Vicario shot in King Richard

Sanchez-Vicario was in the King Richard film

She still maintains that she is a victim in all of this. “I did not go to jail because I am paying 50 per cent of my earnings to the bank. I am complying when deep down I was a victim.

“It was a shock [to go to trial]. I had to go to therapy because I couldn’t believe it. It was like waking up from a dream and thinking, ‘This can’t be happening to me.'”

At Wimbledon and the Australian Open, she reached the final multiple times but did not win either. She represented Spain at the Olympic Games five times too reaching World No.1 in 1995 and going on to retire in 2002. She coached former World No.1 Caroline Wozniacki after her career ended.

Samuel GillEditor-in-Chief

Samuel Gill is the Chief Content Officer (CCO) of TennisUpToDate.com, a role he has held since 2020. He is responsible for editorial governance across the platform, including setting content standards, overseeing accuracy and consistency, and guiding long-term editorial strategy. Since joining, he has contributed more than 10,000 articles and editorial pieces across the TennisUpToDate network, playing a central role in the daily operation and development of the site.

Based in Leicester, Samuel has a broad background in tennis media. In his current role, he works closely with editors and writers to ensure coverage meets clear journalistic standards, with particular attention to verification, consistency, and timely updates when new information becomes available.

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