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Emilio Sanchez

Emilio Ángel Sánchez Vicario (born 29 May 1965) is a Spanish former doubles world No. 1 tennis player. He won five Grand Slam doubles titles and the men’s doubles silver medal at the 1988 Olympic Games. Sánchez is the older brother of multiple Grand Slam winner Arantxa Sánchez Vicario, with whom he partnered to win the Hopman Cup in 1990. After retiring, he captained Spain to Davis Cup victory in 2008.

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. Sánchez’s career-high singles ranking was world No. 7.

In men’s doubles, Sánchez captured 50 men’s doubles titles (44 of which partnering Sergio Casal) including three at Grand Slam events. In 1988, he won the men’s doubles titles at both the French Open (with Andrés Gómez) and the US Open (with Casal). He won the French Open title again (with Casal) 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 (with Pam Shriver) and at the US Open (with Martina Navratilova).

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.

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