From World No.1 to penniless: How tennis icon Arantxa Vicario became bankrupt

Arantxa Sanchez Vicario has blamed former husband Josep Santacana for the loss of her fortune and the debt case that followed. The former world No. 1 says she is still repaying the bank, a fall that turned a glittering career into a fight for survival.Vicario is fighting to stay afloat at the moment (Courtesy: Reuters)Arantxa Sanchez Vicario was once had the world at her feet, being a four-time grand slam champion and World No.1. Now, the tennis icon finds herself bankrupt and struggling, all thanks to a betrayal from the man she once loved.Vicario has held her former husband responsible for the loss of her reported 31 million pounds fortune. The four-time Grand Slam singles champion was married to entrepreneur Josep Santacana from 2008 until their divorce in 2019.Vicario and Santacana have two kids together.“I trusted him because he was the father of my children," said Vicario on Spanish TV show Universo Callejo, as quoted by the Sun. “I fell blindly in love, and he really isn’t the person I thought he was.”Sanchez Vicario and Santacana stood trial in 2023 on charges of concealing assets to avoid repaying a debt to the Bank of Luxembourg. The former tennis star received a suspended two-year prison sentence and was ordered to repay 5.5 million pounds. Vicario said that she never handled her own finances and trusted her husband with it. However, the alleged betrayal from Santacana has now left her to shoulder the entire burden.“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 (31 million) vanished. I was left to shoulder the entire burden.”Vicario said she is currently paying 50 percent of her earning to the bank to avoid jail time.“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.”'HAD TO GO TO THERAPY'Vicario said that she had to take up therapy to get over the trauma from the ordeal.“It was a shock. 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,'” said Vicario.Sanchez Vicario announced herself on the biggest stage by winning her first French Open title at the age of 17, before adding two more crowns at Roland Garros. She also lifted the 1994 US Open trophy and finished runner-up on multiple occasions at both the Australian Open and Wimbledon.The Spaniard climbed to the top of the WTA rankings in 1995 and went on to represent Spain at five Olympic Games during her illustrious career.After retiring from professional tennis in 2002, the Barcelona native was honoured with a court bearing her name at the Madrid Masters. She later moved into coaching, joining forces with former world No. 1 Caroline Wozniacki in 2015.- EndsPublished On: Jul 24, 2026 08:19 IST