Spanish tennis great Arantxa Sánchez Vicario found guilty of fraud but will avoid prison

BARCELONA, Spain (AP) — Former women’s No. 1 tennis player Arantxa Sánchez Vicario and her ex-husband have been found guilty of fraud, a Spanish court ruled Wednesday.

The Barcelona-based court found that Sánchez Vicario and her former husband had hidden assets in an attempt to avoid paying a multi-million euro debt to Banque de Luxembourg.

The four-time Grand Slam winner was sentenced to two years of prison time, but she avoided going behind bars since the court waived her sentence as a first-time offender. She reached a deal with prosecutors last year to admit to the accusations in exchange for a reduced sentence.

Her husband, Josep Santacana, received a prison sentence of three years and three months.

The former couple must also pay a fine of 6.6 million euros ($7.1 million).

Sánchez Vicario, 52, won the French Open in 1989, 1994, and 1998 and the U.S. Open in 1994.

___

AP tennis: https://apnews.com/hub/tennis

Copyright © 2024 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, written or redistributed.

Federal News Network Logo
Log in to your WTOP account for notifications and alerts customized for you.

Sign up