Caroline Burnet - Arantxa Sanchez-Vicario: Fighter, Survivor, Champion

Fighter, Survivor, Champion

Caroline Burnet and

Caroline Harding

Writers Club Press

San Jose New York Lincoln Shanghai

Arantxa Sanchez-Vicario Fighter, Survivor, Champion

All Rights Reserved 2000 by Caroline Burnet and Caroline Harding

No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping, or by any information storage retrieval system, without the permission in writing from the publisher.

Writers Club Press an imprint of iUniverse.com, Inc.

For information address: iUniverse.com, Inc. 5220 S 16th, Ste. 200 Lincoln, NE 68512 www.iuniverse.com

ISBN: 0-595-14695-3

ISBN: 978-1-469-72157-6 (ebook)

For Arantxa, for your undeniable determination and fight, your unmatched desire to succeed, and your undying passion for the game. Always considered not fast enough, not strong enough, and not aggressive enough, you have persevered and given me a reason to believe. You unknowingly have taught me to surrender never and have shown me that with hard work and persistence, anything is possible. You have helped me discover the strength within myself, and for that I will always be grateful, and you will always be my inspiration. Thank you.

Caroline Burnet

To my parents for all the encouragement they have given me throughout the past two years of research and writing; to Caroline Burnet for keeping my sights firmly set on completing this project and for putting up with my sometimes infuriating writing habits! And finally to Arantxa, herself, for all the inspiration that she has unknowingly given me in all I do, and the dedication that she has instilled in me through following the example she sets daily on the courts.

Caroline Harding

If a win comes its great, but if not, I have to keep going.

Arantxa Sanchez-Vicario, 1997

Practicing at the 1999 Australian Open Photograph by Stacey Sullivan

Practicing at the 1999 Australian Open Photograph by Stacey Sullivan

Playing at the 1999 Canadian Open Photograph by Terry Hoffer

Playing at the 1999 Canadian Open Photograph by Terry Hoffer

Playing doubles with Amelie Mauresmo at the 2000 Wimbledon Championships

Photograph by Caroline Burnet

Practicing at the 2000 Wimbledon Championships Photograph by Caroline Burnet

Playing at the 2000 Wimbledon Championships Photograph by Caroline Burnet

Playing at the 2000 Wimbledon Championships Photograph by Caroline Burnet

Though not having the most titles or even the most winsyoure the truest competitor to ever play the game.

This is said with certainty

for greatness cannot be measured

by the number of trophies raised overhead,

but by the passion and persistence shown daily on the court.

You may lack power or pace, but those only make winnersits your heart, your desire, that makes you a champion.

You somehow run down every ball, your legs covering numerous miles; and though compact, you represent an imposing force, a backboard.

Your opponent thinks theyve hit a winner, but you do the impossible: get it back.

Theyre frustrated; you win the point with just sheer effort, sheer will.

Your focus and concentration is maintained through each game, each shot; your tenacity and guile likewise never waver.

And even when youre down and just points from defeat, when your forehand has crumbled, your mind refuses to let go.

You somehow dig deeper within yourself and find a way to keep fighting; something all athletes would admire, but few can achieve.

Often you clench victory from the brink of defeat; but if you do succumb, there is always the assurance that it wasnt without a fight.

But that fire in your eyesthat inextinguishable fireonly says you will be back, and ready to do battle again.

You are a fighter, a survivor, a champion-so I am confident you will

face and overcome

every obstacle you meet in life.

It is for this fight, this relentless will to succeed, that you will forever be my inspiration, my idol, my hero.

We would like to extend our thanks to those others who helped make this literary effort possible. Though our sources of help, guidance, and inspiration are too numerous to mention, we would be remiss not to note a specific few. First we would like to thank Diya Mitra, who initially put this crazy idea of writing a biography in our heads. While forgiving her inherent flaw of being a Steffi Graf fan, we appreciate her foresight. We would also like to thank the media for creating the hype surrounding the kiddie corps of tennis while virtually ignoring our beloved Arantxa throughout her career. No matter how much we hate them for it, we must admit it was the perfect motivation to write this book and finally give the Spaniard her due. And we cannot thank our fellow Arantxa fans enough for all of their help during our exhaustive research and writing process. The two of us handled the grand majority of the detective work, but we had a handful of fellow fans to turn to when we needed facts corroborated or sources to locate. A special thanks to Kristi Odom, Terry Hoffer, and Stacey Sullivan who graciously allowed us to include their photographs. And lastly, we owe a ton of thanks to Arantxa herself. If it were not for the determination she has unknowingly established in both of us, this book would never have been completed. There were countless times during the two years we worked on this that the task seemed too overwhelming, but we thought of Arantxa, and kept writing. It is only because of her that you are reading these words today.

During the 1995 Federation Cup competition, when the French coach was asked if he thought Arantxa would lose her number one ranking, he curtly replied, For her to lose her ranking, someone has to beat her, and thats like taking a bone away from a bulldog. It was an amusing, though incredibly accurate response that would foreshadow the rest of her career. This same fight with which she would defend her top ranking would also be the same fight with which she would win grand slams and struggle through difficult slumps.

Through all her unbelievable achievements and trying defeats, Arantxa is undeniably a warrior who wages a battle each time she sets foot on the court. And while her defensive scrambling style is often denounced, no one can refute her tenacious determination and desire to win. Here is someone who has shown what is possible with just sheer effort, sheer will. The consummate underdog, she always finds a way to overcome adversity and succeed. Her story is an empowering source of strength and a lesson in dedication and persistence.

In reading this candid chronicle of her career, we cannot help but feel you will be touched by Arantxas spirit and fortitude. In her numerous years on the professional womens tennis tour, she fought through it all with the courage and strength only a champion could have. It is this constant fight and indomitable spirit we hope to emphasize in this biography of her career.

In the years we have followed her tennis, she has unknowingly impacted our lives. Her determination has offered us incredible motivation to find the strength and resilience within ourselves, making us better individuals as a result. Presenting her with this manuscript at the 2000 Wimbledon Championships was an incredibly unique and rewarding opportunity to thank her for her unequaled influence on our lives. But we would be remiss not to share her story with others. If our book can cause just one other person to be similarly affected and benefited, we feel we will have done our job.