How Arantxa Sanchez Vicario’s $41 million fortune vanished after years of glory(Getty)Former World No. 1 and Spanish tennis legend Arantxa Sanchez Vicario is going through one of the hardest times of her life. The four-time Grand Slam singles champion says she lost almost all of her fortune after trusting her former husband, Josep Santacana, with her finances during their marriage from 2008 to 2019. The experience has taken a heavy emotional toll, and she has revealed that she needed therapy to cope. Speaking on the Spanish television show 'Universo Calleja', the 54-year-old said her wealth had 'vanished' and blamed her former husband for the family's financial loss. Despite all the mess, her achievements on the tennis court remain constant and continue to impress tennis fans around the world.Tennis legend Arantxa Sanchez Vicario blames her ex-husband Josep Santacana for the financial lossAfter retiring from tennis, Arantxa Sánchez Vicario believed her financial situation was stable. She said she left all her financial decisions in the hands of her then-husband, Josep Santacana, so she could focus on her tennis career and family. Looking back, she says that trust cost her everything. According to Sánchez Vicario, she lost a fortune worth around £31 million(approx. $ 41 million) after Santacana managed her finances. In her latest appearance on the Spanish TV show “Universo Callejero ", she claimed her wealth had "vanished" and said she was left to deal with the consequences on her own. She said, “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 further added, “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.”Also, Vicario revealed that she had to opt for therapy to overcome the mental trauma. “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.The financial troubles then led to a court case, where she and her former husband, Josep Santacana, were found guilty of fraud in 2024A brief throwback to the entire case that turned Arantxa Sanchez Vicario's life upside downThe case began after prosecutors accused Vicario and Santacana of hiding assets to avoid repaying a debt owed to Banque de Luxembourg. Spanish authorities alleged that money and property were moved out of reach after the bank tried to recover what it was owed. Both initially denied any wrongdoing.Back in Jan 2024, a Spanish court found the former couple guilty of fraud. Sadly, Vicario received a two-year prison sentence. But she did not go to jail because it was suspended after she agreed to repay the debt and had no previous criminal record. But Santacana was sentenced to three years and three months in prison.In this case, Vicario argued that she had no role in managing the family's finances and trusted her ex-husband to handle everything. The court acknowledged that she lacked financial expertise but ruled that she was aware of what was happening with her assets and benefited from those actions. Along with their sentences, the former couple were also asked to pay a €6.6 million fine. During the trial, Vicario's ex-husband defended himself and told the reporters: “I just expect the truth to be told and this to be over.” Sanchez Vicario, who retired from tennis in 2002, was married to the entrepreneur from 2008-19. Sanchez Vicario and Santacana share a son and daughter together. The couple divorced in 2019.Arantxa Sanchez Vicario has a bright career and was once admired as the top tennis iconArantxa Sanchez Vicario was one of the top players in the sport in the 90s and was ranked No. 1 in the world after winning the French Open and U.S. Open in 1994. She also won two other French Open titles in 1989 and 1998, and claimed her first title at just 17 years old. Plus, she won 4 Olympic medals, including two silver and two bronze, across the 1992 and 1996 Olympic Games.Even after everything she has been through, Sánchez Vicario's story in tennis stands on its own. Her achievements, determination and success on the biggest stages remain a big part of her legacy.