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Emilio Sanchez Vicario (b.May 29, 1965 in Madrid, Spain) is a former professional tennis player from Spain. During his career he won five Grand Slam doubles titles, as well as the men’s doubles Silver Medal at the 1988 Olympic Games. Sanchez turned professional in 1984 and won his first top-level singles title in Nice, France, in 1986. He won 15 singles titles during his career, the biggest of which was the Italian Open (Tennis Masters Series event) in 1991. His career-high singles ranking was World No. 7.
However it was in doubles where Sanchez really excelled. He captured 50 professional men’s doubles titles, including three at Grand Slam events. In 1988 he won the men’s doubles titles at both the French Open (with Andres Gomez) and the US Open (with Sergio Casal). He won the French Open title again (with Casal) in 1990. Sanchez and Casal were also the men’s doubles runners-up at Wimbledon in 1987, and the pair won the Silver Medal for Spain at the 1988 Olympics in Seoul.
Sanchez also won two Grand Slam mixed doubles titles in 1987 at the French Open (with Pam Shriver) and the US Open (with Martina Navratilova).
Sanchez was ranked the World No. 1 doubles player in 1989.
Sanchez had an excellent record playing for Spain in international team events. He was a stalwart of Spain’s Davis Cup team from the mid-1980s to the mid-1990s, compiling a 32-23 record. And he was part of the Spanish teams which won the Hopman Cup in 1990 and the World Team Cup in 1992.
Sanchez is a member of one of the world’s most successful tennis families. His sister Arantxa Sanchez Vicario and brother Javier Sanchez were also both top-level players. In 1987, Emilio and Javier met in the final at Madrid, marking the first time that two brothers had faced each other in the final of a top-level tour tournament. Emilio won the match 6-3, 3-6, 6-2. (Emilio and Javier faced each other a total of 12 times during their careers, with Emilio winning 10 of their match-ups. They played an exciting five-set match in the third round of the 1992 US Open, which Emilio won 5-7, 6-1, 6-7, 7-6, 6-4.)
Emilio Sanchez retired from the professional tour in 1997.
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