Emilio Sánchez
Emilio Ángel Sánchez Vicario is a former world no. 1 doubles professional tennis player from Spain. He won five Grand Slam doubles titles and the men's doubles silver medal at the 1988 Olympic Games. Sanchez is the older brother of multiple Grand Slam winner Arantxa, with whom he teamed up to win the 1990 Hopman Cup. After retiring, he captained Spain to Davis Cup victory in 2008.
Career
Sánchez 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, including the Italian Open in 1991. During his singles career, he achieved wins over top 5 players including Ivan Lendl, Stefan Edberg, Boris Becker and Mats Wilander. His career-high singles ranking was world No. 7.In men's doubles, Sánchez captured 50 men's doubles titles including three at Grand Slam events. In 1988, he won the men's doubles titles at both the French Open and the US Open. He won the French Open title again in 1990. Sánchez 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 Olympic Games in Seoul. Sánchez was ranked world No. 1 in men's doubles in 1989.
He won two Grand Slam mixed-doubles titles in 1987, at the French Open and at the US Open.
Sánchez often played for Spain in international team events. He was a member of Spain's Davis Cup team from the mid-1980s to the mid-1990s, compiling a 32–23 record. Sanchez was also part of the Spanish teams that won the Hopman Cup in 1990 and the World Team Cup in 1992.
Sánchez is the brother of Javier Sánchez Vicario. In 1987, Emilio and Javier met in the final at Madrid, with Emilio winning the match 6–3, 3–6, 6–2. Emilio and Javier faced each other 12 times during their professional careers, with Emilio winning 10 of their matches. In their two grand slam encounters, Emilio defeated Javier in the first round of the 1988 Wimbledon Championships in straight sets, and the third round of the 1992 US Open in five sets.
Emilio Sánchez retired from the professional tour in 1998.
Post-retirement
In 1998, alongside his former doubles partner Casal, Sanchez set up the Sanchez-Casal Tennis Academy in Barcelona. Former students have included Andy Murray, Grigor Dimitrov, Daniela Hantuchova and Svetlana Kuznetsova.Sanchez was the captain of the Spanish Davis Cup team for three years; his tenure there culminated in Spain's 2008 Davis Cup victory. He resigned as captain after the win.
In 2009, he signed a contract with the Brazilian tennis confederation to coordinate the sport in Brazil.
Sanchez was tournament director for two wheelchair tennis events in 2012.
In 2017, Sanchez was awarded by the ITF its highest accolade, the Philippe Chatrier Award, for his contributions to tennis.
Personal life
Sanchez was born in Madrid to Emilio Sanchez Snr and Marisa Vicario Rubin. His mother, Marisa, introduced Javier and his siblings into tennis.As well as siblings Arantxa and Javier, he also has an older sister - Marisa Sanchez Vicario - who briefly played professional tennis, peaking at world no. 368 in 1990.
In 1999, Sanchez married his Italian-born wife Simona, with whom he has four children.
Grand Slam record
French Open- Singles quarterfinalist: 1988
- Doubles champion: 1988, 1990
- Mixed doubles champion: 1987
- Singles quarterfinalist: 1988
- Doubles champion: 1988
- Mixed doubles champion: 1987
- Doubles finalist: 1987
- Mixed doubles semifinalist: 1986
Career finals
Doubles (50–29)
| Outcome | No. | Date | Tournament | Surface | Partner | Opponents | Score |
| Runner-up | 1. | 8 April 1985 | Munich, West Germany | Clay |  Sergio Casal |  Mark Edmondson Kim Warwick | 6–4, 5–7, 5–7 |
| Runner-up | 2. | 22 July 1985 | Båstad, Sweden | Clay | Sergio Casal |  Stefan Edberg Anders Järryd | 0–6, 6–7 |
| Winner | 1. | 12 August 1985 | Kitzbühel, Austria | Clay | Sergio Casal |  Paolo Canè Claudio Panatta | 6–3, 3–6, 6–2 |
| Runner-up | 3. | 16 September 1985 | Palermo, Italy | Clay | Sergio Casal |  Colin Dowdeswell Joakim Nyström | 4–6, 7–6, 6–7 |
| Winner | 2. | 23 September 1985 | Geneva, Switzerland | Clay | Sergio Casal |  Carlos Kirmayr Cássio Motta | 6–4, 4–6, 7–5 |
| Winner | 3. | 30 September 1985 | Barcelona, Spain | Clay | Sergio Casal | Jan Gunnarsson  Michael Mortensen | 6–3, 6–3 |
| Runner-up | 4. | 25 November 1985 | Vienna, Austria | Hard | Sergio Casal |  Mike De Palmer Gary Donnelly | 4–6, 3–6 |
| Runner-up | 5. | 14 April 1986 | Bari, Italy | Clay | Sergio Casal | Gary Donnelly  Tomáš Šmíd | 6–2, 4–6, 4–6 |
| Winner | 4. | 12 May 1986 | Munich, West Germany | Clay | Sergio Casal | Broderick Dyke Wally Masur | 6–3, 4–6, 6–3 |
| Winner | 5. | 12 May 1986 | Florence, Italy | Clay | Sergio Casal | Mike De Palmer Gary Donnelly | 6–4, 7–6 |
| Winner | 6. | 14 July 1986 | Gstaad, Switzerland | Clay | Sergio Casal | Stefan Edberg Joakim Nyström | 6–3, 3–6, 6–3 |
| Winner | 7. | 28 July 1986 | Båstad, Sweden | Clay | Sergio Casal |  Craig Campbell Joey Rive | 6–4, 6–2 |
| Winner | 8. | 22 September 1986 | Hamburg, Germany | Clay | Sergio Casal |  Boris Becker Eric Jelen | 6–4, 6–1 |
| Winner | 9. | 9 February 1987 | Philadelphia, U.S. | Carpet | Sergio Casal | Christo Steyn Danie Visser | 3–6, 6–1, 7–6 |
| Runner-up | 6. | 16 February 1987 | Memphis, U.S. | Hard | Sergio Casal | Anders Järryd Jonas Svensson | 4–6, 2–6 |
| Runner-up | 7. | 6 April 1987 | Milan, Italy | Carpet | Sergio Casal | Boris Becker  Slobodan Živojinović | 6–3, 3–6, 4–6 |
| Winner | 10. | 20 April 1987 | Nice, France | Clay | Sergio Casal |  Claudio Mezzadri Gianni Ocleppo | 6–3, 6–3 |
| Runner-up | 8. | 11 May 1987 | Munich, Germany | Clay | Sergio Casal | Jim Pugh Blaine Willenborg | 6–7, 6–4, 4–6 |
| Winner | 11. | 15 June 1987 | Bologna, Italy | Clay | Sergio Casal | Claudio Panatta Blaine Willenborg | 6–3, 6–2 |
| Runner-up | 9. | 6 July 1987 | Wimbledon, London | Grass | Sergio Casal | Ken Flach Robert Seguso | 6–3, 7–6, 6–7, 1–6, 4–6 |
| Winner | 12. | 20 July 1987 | Bordeaux, France | Clay | Sergio Casal | Darren Cahill Mark Woodforde | 6–3, 6–3 |
| Runner-up | 10. | 3 August 1987 | Båstad, Sweden | Clay | Javier Sánchez | Stefan Edberg Anders Järryd | 6–7, 3–6 |
| Winner | 13. | 10 August 1987 | Kitzbühel, Austria | Clay | Sergio Casal | Miloslav Mečíř Tomáš Šmíd | 7–6, 7–6 |
| Runner-up | 11. | 21 September 1987 | Madrid, Spain | Clay | Sergio Casal |  Carlos di Laura Javier Sánchez | 3–6, 6–3, 4–6 |
| Runner-up | 12. | 26 October 1987 | Vienna, Austria | Hard | Javier Sánchez | Mel Purcell Tim Wilkison | 3–6, 5–7 |
| Winner | 14. | 30 November 1987 | Itaparica, Brazil | Hard | Sergio Casal |  Jorge Lozano  Diego Pérez | 6–2, 6–2 |
| Winner | 15. | 18 April 1988 | Madrid, Spain | Clay | Sergio Casal | Jason Stoltenberg Todd Woodbridge | 6–7, 7–6, 6–4 |
| Winner | 16. | 25 April 1988 | Monte Carlo, Monaco | Clay | Sergio Casal |  Henri Leconte Ivan Lendl | 6–1, 6–3 |
| Winner | 17. | 6 June 1988 | French Open, Paris | Clay |  Andrés Gómez | John Fitzgerald Anders Järryd | 6–3, 6–7, 6–4, 6–3 |
| Winner | 18. | 13 June 1988 | Bologna, Italy | Clay | Javier Sánchez | Rolf Hertzog Marc Walder | 6–1, 7–6 |
| Runner-up | 13. | 11 July 1988 | Gstaad, Switzerland | Clay | Andrés Gómez | Petr Korda Milan Šrejber | 6–7, 6–7 |
| Winner | 19. | 18 July 1988 | Stuttgart Outdoor, West Germany | Clay | Sergio Casal | Anders Järryd Michael Mortensen | 4–6, 6–3, 6–4 |
| Winner | 20. | 1 August 1988 | Hilversum, Netherlands | Clay | Sergio Casal | Magnus Gustafsson  Guillermo Pérez Roldán | 7–6, 6–3 |
| Winner | 21. | 8 August 1988 | Kitzbühel, Austria | Clay | Sergio Casal | Joakim Nyström Claudio Panatta | 6–4, 7–5 |
| Winner | 22. | 12 September 1988 | US Open, New York | Hard | Sergio Casal | Rick Leach Jim Pugh | w/o |
| Winner | 23. | 19 September 1988 | Barcelona, Spain | Clay | Sergio Casal | Claudio Mezzadri Diego Pérez | 6–4, 6–3 |
| Runner-up | 14. | 26 September 1988 | Seoul Olympics, South Korea | Hard | Sergio Casal | Ken Flach Robert Seguso | 3–6, 4–6, 7–6, 7–6, 7–9 |
| Winner | 24. | 28 November 1988 | Itaparica, Brazil | Hard | Sergio Casal | Jorge Lozano Todd Witsken | 7–6, 7–6 |
| Runner-up | 15. | 11 December 1988 | Masters Doubles, London | Carpet | Sergio Casal | Rick Leach Jim Pugh | 4–6, 3–6, 6–2, 0–6 |
| Winner | 25. | 15 May 1989 | Hamburg, West Germany | Clay | Javier Sánchez | Boris Becker Eric Jelen | 6–4, 6–1 |
| Winner | 26. | 7 August 1989 | Kitzbühel, Austria | Clay | Javier Sánchez | Petr Korda Tomáš Šmíd | 7–5, 7–6 |
| Runner-up | 16. | 8 January 1990 | Wellington, New Zealand | Hard | Sergio Casal |  Kelly Evernden  Nicolás Pereira | 4–6, 6–7 |
| Winner | 27. | 19 February 1990 | Brussels, Belgium | Carpet | Slobodan Živojinović | Goran Ivanišević  Balázs Taróczy | 7–5, 6–3 |
| Winner | 28. | 9 April 1990 | Estoril, Portugal | Clay | Sergio Casal | Omar Camporese Paolo Canè | 7–5, 4–6, 7–5 |
| Runner-up | 17. | 16 April 1990 | Barcelona, Spain | Clay | Sergio Casal | Andrés Gómez Javier Sánchez | 6–7, 5–7 |
| Winner | 29. | 21 May 1990 | Rome, Italy | Clay | Sergio Casal | Jim Courier Martin Davis | 7–6, 7–5 |
| Winner | 30. | 11 June 1990 | French Open, Paris | Clay | Sergio Casal | Goran Ivanišević Petr Korda | 7–5, 6–3 |
| Winner | 31. | 16 July 1990 | Gstaad, Switzerland | Clay | Sergio Casal | Omar Camporese Javier Sánchez | 6–3, 3–6, 7–5 |
| Winner | 32. | 30 July 1990 | Hilversum, Netherlands | Clay | Sergio Casal |  Paul Haarhuis Mark Koevermans | 7–5, 7–5 |
| Winner | 33. | 1 October 1990 | Palermo, Italy | Clay | Sergio Casal | Carlos Costa Horacio de la Peña | 6–3, 6–4 |
| Runner-up | 18. | 25 November 1990 | Doubles Championships, Sanctuary Cove | Hard | Sergio Casal | Guy Forget Jakob Hlasek | 4–6, 6–7, 7–5, 4–6 |
| Winner | 34. | 14 January 1991 | Auckland, New Zealand | Hard | Sergio Casal |  Grant Connell Glenn Michibata | 4–6, 6–3, 6–4 |
| Winner | 35. | 25 February 1991 | Stuttgart Indoor, Germany | Carpet | Sergio Casal | Jeremy Bates Nick Brown | 6–3, 7–5 |
| Winner | 36. | 13 May 1991 | Hamburg, Germany | Clay | Sergio Casal | Cássio Motta Danie Visser | 4–6, 6–3, 6–2 |
| Winner | 37. | 22 July 1991 | Stuttgart Outdoor, Germany | Clay | Wally Masur | Omar Camporese  Goran Ivanišević | 4–6, 6–3, 6–4 |
| Runner-up | 19. | 26 August 1991 | Schenectady, U.S. | Hard | Andrés Gómez | Javier Sánchez Todd Woodbridge | 6–3, 6–7, 6–7 |
| Runner-up | 20. | 30 September 1991 | Palermo, Italy | Clay | Javier Sánchez | Jacco Eltingh Tom Kempers | 6–3, 3–6, 3–6 |
| Winner | 38. | 4 November 1991 | Búzios, Brazil | Hard | Sergio Casal | Javier Frana Leonardo Lavalle | 4–6, 6–3, 6–4 |
| Winner | 39. | 13 January 1992 | Sydney Outdoor, Australia | Hard | Sergio Casal | Scott Davis Kelly Jones | 3–6, 6–1, 6–4 |
| Runner-up | 21. | 10 February 1992 | Milan, Italy | Carpet | Sergio Casal | Neil Broad David Macpherson | 7–5, 5–7, 4–6 |
| Winner | 40. | 11 May 1992 | Hamburg, Germany | Clay | Sergio Casal |  Carl-Uwe Steeb Michael Stich | 5–7, 6–4, 6–3 |
| Winner | 41. | 27 July 1992 | Kitzbühel, Austria | Clay | Sergio Casal | Horacio de la Peña Vojtěch Flégl | 6–1, 6–2 |
| Runner-up | 22. | 31 August 1992 | Schenectady, U.S. | Hard | Sergio Casal | Jacco Eltingh Paul Haarhuis | 3–6, 4–6 |
| Winner | 42. | 21 September 1992 | Bordeaux, France | Clay | Sergio Casal | Arnaud Boetsch Guy Forget | 6–1, 6–4 |
| Runner-up | 23. | 12 April 1993 | Barcelona, Spain | Clay | Sergio Casal | Shelby Cannon Scott Melville | 6–7, 1–6 |
| Winner | 43. | 21 June 1993 | Genova, Italy | Clay | Sergio Casal | Mark Koevermans Greg Van Emburgh | 6–3, 7–6 |
| Winner | 44. | 4 October 1993 | Palermo, Italy | Clay | Sergio Casal | Juan Garat Jorge Lozano | 6–3, 6–3 |
| Winner | 45. | 18 October 1993 | Tel Aviv, Israel | Hard | Sergio Casal | Mike Bauer  David Rikl | 6–4, 6–4 |
| Winner | 46. | 8 November 1993 | São Paulo, Brazil | Clay | Sergio Casal | Pablo Albano Javier Frana | 4–6, 7–6, 6–4 |
| Runner-up | 24. | 15 November 1993 | Buenos Aires, Argentina | Clay | Sergio Casal | Tomás Carbonell Carlos Costa | 4–6, 4–6 |
| Winner | 47. | 11 July 1994 | Gstaad, Switzerland | Clay | Sergio Casal | Menno Oosting Daniel Vacek | 7–6, 6–4 |
| Runner-up | 25. | 8 August 1994 | Kitzbühel, Austria | Clay | Sergio Casal | David Adams  Andrei Olhovskiy | 7–6, 3–6, 5–7 |
| Runner-up | 26. | 7 November 1994 | Montevideo, Uruguay | Clay | Sergio Casal | Marcelo Filippini  Luiz Mattar | 6–7, 4–6 |
| Winner | 48. | 14 November 1994 | Buenos Aires, Argentina | Clay | Sergio Casal | Tomás Carbonell Francisco Roig | 6–3, 6–2 |
| Winner | 49. | 8 May 1995 | Atlanta, U.S. | Clay | Sergio Casal | Jared Palmer Richey Reneberg | 6–7, 6–3, 7–6 |
| Runner-up | 27. | 22 May 1995 | Coral Springs, U.S. | Clay | Sergio Casal | Todd Woodbridge Mark Woodforde | 3–6, 1–6 |
| Winner | 50. | 6 November 1995 | Montevideo, Uruguay | Clay | Sergio Casal | Jiří Novák David Rikl | 2–6, 7–6, 7–6 |
| Runner-up | 28. | 11 March 1996 | Mexico City, Mexico | Clay | Nicolás Pereira | Donald Johnson Francisco Montana | 2–6, 4–6 |
| Runner-up | 29. | 30 September 1996 | Palermo, Italy | Clay | Cristian Brandi | Andrew Kratzmann  Marcos Ondruska | 6–7, 4–6 |
Doubles performance timeline
A = did not attend tournamentNH = tournament not held