"They painted me as a very bad person" - Sanchez Vicario voices displeasure over King Richard portrayal
WTA
Former world No. 1 Arantxa Sanchez Vicario was a guest on the Spanish radio program El Larguero and there she voiced some displeasure over how she was portrayed in King Richard.
In one scene of the film, a 14-year-old Venus Williams was taking on Sanchez Vicario at the Bank of the West Classic. In the scene, Williams was in complete control of the match as she led 6-2 3-1 before Sanchez Vicario took a bathroom break. After the bathroom break, Sanchez Vicario went on to win the match.
She said: "The moment they painted me as a very bad person was when I am losing 2-6 and 1-3 is totally incorrect. I
was in the lead, as far as I know. It is impossible that I would have left the court with
1-3 because you can never leave in even games, if anything I would have
left in 2-3."
She further said: "The bathroom break is limited. I would have been penalized if I had
stayed longer. The thing is, that gives the importance to the film.
There is no other way for the film to be relevant. I have had a
brilliant career, nobody gave me anything to achieve what I got and I
don't understand the meaning of them taking that out. I recommend it because it's an epic movie and it talks about effort."
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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