'I fell blindly in love...': How former US Open champion and four-time Grand Slam winner Arantxa Sánchez Vicario lost £31 million after trusting her ex-husband with her finances

Former World No. 1 Arantxa Sánchez Vicario has opened up about one of the most painful chapters of her life. The four-time Grand Slam singles champion says she lost nearly all of her fortune after placing complete trust in her former husband, Josep Santacana, to manage the family's finances.

Speaking candidly on Spanish television, the tennis icon revealed that the experience left her emotionally shattered and forced her to seek therapy. While her personal life took a devastating turn, Sánchez Vicario's achievements on the court continue to make her one of Spain's greatest tennis players.

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Arantxa Sánchez Vicario says her fortune 'vanished' after trusting her ex-husband

After stepping away from professional tennis, Sánchez Vicario believed her financial future was secure. She said she never handled her own finances, choosing instead to leave those responsibilities to her then-husband, Josep Santacana, during their marriage from 2008 to 2019.

Looking back, she says that decision changed her life. According to Sánchez Vicario, she lost a fortune worth around £31 million (approximately $41 million) after Santacana took charge of managing her finances.

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Appearing on the Spanish television show Universo Calleja, the 54-year-old claimed that her wealth had disappeared.

“I focused on playing tennis and never handled my own financial affairs because I didn’t know how. I trusted my husband… And the [£31m] vanished. I was left to shoulder the entire burden.”

She also spoke about the emotional betrayal she felt.

“I trusted him because he was the father of my children. I fell blindly in love, and he really isn’t the person I thought he was.”

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Tennis legend says she needed therapy after the financial collapse

The financial loss did not just affect Sánchez Vicario's bank account—it also took a serious toll on her mental health.

She revealed that she struggled to process everything that had happened and eventually turned to therapy for support.

“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,” Vicario said.

Her comments offer a rare glimpse into the emotional impact that followed years of legal disputes and financial uncertainty.

What happened in Arantxa Sánchez Vicario's fraud case?

The controversy eventually reached the courts. Spanish prosecutors accused Sánchez Vicario and Santacana of hiding assets to avoid repaying money owed to Banque de Luxembourg. Authorities alleged that assets and funds were moved beyond the bank's reach while it was attempting to recover the debt.

Both initially denied wrongdoing.

In January 2024, a Spanish court found the former couple guilty of fraud.

Sánchez Vicario received a two-year prison sentence, but she did not serve jail time because the sentence was suspended after she agreed to repay the debt and had no prior criminal record.

Santacana, meanwhile, was sentenced to three years and three months in prison. Throughout the legal proceedings, Sánchez Vicario maintained that she had no role in managing the family's finances and had trusted her husband to handle everything.

The court acknowledged that she lacked financial expertise but concluded that she was aware of the movement of her assets and had benefited from those actions.

The former couple was also ordered to pay a €6.6 million fine. During the trial, Santacana defended himself, saying:

“I just expect the truth to be told and this to be over.” The couple, who married in 2008, divorced in 2019. They share a son and a daughter.

A tennis career that remains untouchable

Despite the personal and legal challenges she has faced, Arantxa Sánchez Vicario's legacy in tennis remains firmly intact.

One of the biggest stars of the 1990s, the Spanish great reached World No. 1 after winning both the French Open and the US Open in 1994.

She captured four Grand Slam singles titles during her career:

• French Open (1989)
• French Open (1994)
• US Open (1994)
• French Open (1998)

Remarkably, she won her first French Open title at just 17 years old, defeating Steffi Graf in one of the biggest upsets in tennis history.

Her success extended beyond Grand Slam tournaments. Sánchez Vicario also won four Olympic medals—two silver and two bronze—across the 1992 Barcelona Olympics and the 1996 Atlanta Olympics, cementing her place among Spain's greatest sporting icons.