By Scoop Malinowski
Status: Former world no. 1 (1995) and winner of fourteen Grand Slam titles (4 singles, 6 doubles, 4 mixed). Also won four Olympic medals and five Federation Cup titles for Spain.
DOB: December 18, 1972 In: Barcelona, Spain
Ht: 5-6 1/2 Wt: 124
Childhood Role-Model: Chris Evert.
Early Tennis Memory: I picked up the racquet at five years old.
Favorite Movies: Sister Act, Dances With Wolves.
Favorite Book: Mirrors.
Favorite TV Show: Bill Cosby.
First Job: None.
First Car: Seat [smiles].
Nicknames: Tiger, Squirrel, Sparky, Barcelona Bumble Bee.
Pre-Match Feeling: I never give up. It’s the Spanish mentality – the players have to work really hard to beat me.
Hobbies/Interests: Speak five languages (Spanish, English, German, Italian, French), enjoy cycling, soccer and basketball.
Favorite Meal: Chicken, pasta.
Greatest Sports Moment: 1989 French Open victory. After three hours I beat her 75 in the third (from 3-5 down). I was the youngest player ever to win, seventeen. The first woman from Spain to do it. Steffi was unbeatable, she was two and a half years she didn’t lose a match.
Interesting Fact: Every Sunday church, Catholic.
Musical Tastes: The Beatles, Phil Collins, Bruce Springsteen.
Closest Friends In Tennis: Barbara Schultz, Natasha Zvereva.
Future Ambition: Family and TV commentator.
Career Accomplishments: Winner of 29 WTA singles titles and 69 in doubles; Ranked no. 1 in doubles in 1992; Won three French Opens 1989, 1994, 1998 and US Open 1994; Earned over $16m in career prize money; Turned pro in 1985 and retired in 2002; Inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 2007.
(Note: This interview was done in 1992 at Madison Square Garden at WTA Championships.)
Arantxa Sanchez-Vicario · French Open · Newport Hall of Fame · Roland Garros · Spain · Yonex
