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Emilio Sánchez
Emilio Sánchez Vicario (cropped).jpg
Emilio Sánchez in 2024
Country (sports)  Spain
Residence Monte Carlo, Monaco
Born (1965-05-29) 29 May 1965 (age 60)
Madrid, Spain
Height 1.80 m (5 ft 11 in)
Turned pro 1984
Retired 1998
Plays Right-handed (one-handed backhand)
Prize money $5,332,145
Singles
Career record 431–291 (59.7%)
Career titles 15
Highest ranking No. 7 (30 April 1990)
Grand Slam singles results
Australian Open 4R (1992)
French Open QF (1988)
Wimbledon 4R (1987)
US Open QF (1988)
Other tournaments
Tour Finals RR (1990)
Grand Slam Cup 1R (1992)
Olympic Games QF (1992)
Doubles
Career record 532–273
Career titles 50
Highest ranking No. 1 (3 April 1989)
Grand Slam doubles results
Australian Open 2R (1990, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1996)
French Open W (1988, 1990)
Wimbledon F (1987)
US Open W (1988)
Olympic Games Silver medal.svg Silver Medal (1988)
Mixed doubles
Career titles 2
Grand Slam mixed doubles results
French Open W (1987)
Wimbledon SF (1986)
US Open W (1987)
Team competitions
Davis Cup SF (1987)
Hopman Cup W (1990)
Medal record
Representing  ESP
Olympic Games
Silver 1988 Seoul Doubles

Emilio Ángel Sánchez Vicario was born on May 29, 1965, in Madrid, Spain. He is a famous Spanish tennis player who was once ranked number one in the world for doubles. Emilio won five big Grand Slam titles in doubles and mixed doubles. He also won a silver medal in men's doubles at the 1988 Olympic Games.

Emilio is the older brother of Arantxa Sánchez Vicario, who also won many Grand Slam titles. They even teamed up to win the Hopman Cup together in 1990. After he stopped playing professionally, Emilio became the captain of Spain's Davis Cup team and led them to victory in 2008.

Emilio's Tennis Career

Emilio Sánchez started playing tennis professionally in 1984. He won his first major singles title in Nice, France, in 1986.

Singles Success

Emilio won 15 singles titles during his career. One of his biggest wins was the Italian Open in 1991. He was known for beating some of the top players in the world, like Ivan Lendl, Stefan Edberg, Boris Becker, and Mats Wilander. His highest ranking in singles was world number 7.

Doubles and Mixed Doubles Achievements

Emilio was especially good at doubles. He won 50 doubles titles, and 44 of those were with his partner Sergio Casal. They won three Grand Slam doubles titles together.

  • In 1988, he won the French Open doubles title with Andrés Gómez.
  • In the same year, he won the US Open doubles title with Sergio Casal.
  • He and Sergio Casal won the French Open doubles title again in 1990.

Emilio and Sergio Casal also reached the finals at Wimbledon in 1987. They won a silver medal for Spain at the 1988 Olympic Games in Seoul. Emilio was ranked world number 1 in men's doubles in 1989.

He also won two Grand Slam mixed doubles titles in 1987:

Playing for Spain

Emilio often played for Spain in big team events. He was part of Spain's Davis Cup team for many years, from the mid-1980s to the mid-1990s. He also helped Spain win the Hopman Cup in 1990 and the World Team Cup in 1992.

Family on the Court

Emilio has another brother who played tennis professionally, Javier Sánchez Vicario. In 1987, Emilio and Javier played against each other in a final match in Madrid, which Emilio won. They played 12 times in their careers, and Emilio won 10 of those matches. They even played each other twice in Grand Slam tournaments.

Emilio Sánchez stopped playing professional tennis in 1998.

Life After Retirement

After retiring from tennis, Emilio Sánchez continued to be involved in the sport.

Sánchez-Casal Tennis Academy

In 1998, Emilio and his former doubles partner, Sergio Casal, started the Sánchez-Casal Tennis Academy in Barcelona. This academy has helped many young tennis players, including famous ones like Andy Murray, Grigor Dimitrov, and Svetlana Kuznetsova.

Davis Cup Captain

Emilio was the captain of the Spanish Davis Cup team for three years. His time as captain ended with a big win for Spain in the 2008 Davis Cup. He stepped down as captain after this victory.

Other Contributions to Tennis

In 2009, he worked with the Brazilian tennis organization to help develop the sport in Brazil. He also directed two wheelchair tennis events in 2012. In 2017, the ITF gave Emilio their highest award, the Philippe Chatrier Award. This award recognized his important contributions to tennis.

Emilio's Family Life

Emilio was born in Madrid. His parents are Emilio Sánchez Snr and Marisa Vicario Rubin. His mother, Marisa, was the one who introduced Emilio and his two sisters to tennis.

Besides his famous siblings Arantxa and Javier, he also has an older sister named Marisa Sánchez Vicario. She played professional tennis for a short time.

In 1999, Emilio married his wife, Simona, who is from Italy. They have four children together.

Grand Slam Highlights

Emilio Sánchez had some great moments at the Grand Slam tournaments:

  • French Open
    • Singles quarterfinalist: 1988
    • Doubles champion: 1988 (with Andrés Gómez), 1990 (with Sergio Casal)
    • Mixed doubles champion: 1987 (with Pam Shriver)
  • US Open
    • Singles quarterfinalist: 1988
    • Doubles champion: 1988 (with Sergio Casal)
    • Mixed doubles champion: 1987 (with Martina Navratilova)
  • Wimbledon
    • Doubles finalist: 1987
    • Mixed doubles semifinalist: 1986

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Emilio Sánchez (tenista) para niños

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