December 23, 2024

Arantxa Sánchez Vicario Found Guilty of Fraud; Former Tennis No. 1 Won 4 Grand Slams

Vicario #Vicario

Photo By Kike Rincon/Europa Press via Getty Images

Arantxa Sánchez Vicario, a former world No. 1 tennis player who won four Grand Slams, was found guilty of fraud in a Spanish court Wednesday.

Sánchez Vicario and her ex-husband, Josep Santacana, admitted to hiding assets in an attempt to avoid paying debts to Banque de Luxembourg. She received a two-year prison sentence, but that was waived as part of a first-time offenders’ program.

The pair will have to pay a fine of 6.6 million euros ($7.1 million).

Sánchez Vicario accused Santacana of the wrongdoing, saying he was in control of her money. The court disagreed, saying Sánchez Vicario “had full knowledge of what was done with her assets and was benefiting from them, with the full awareness of the debt she had with Banque de Luxembourg.”

Sánchez Vicario won $16.9 million in prize money during her tennis career. She made 12 Grand Slam finals, winning three French Opens (1989, 1994, 1998) and the 1994 U.S. Open.

The 52-year-old was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 2007 and has served as a coach during her post-playing career, most notably with Caroline Wozniacki.

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