A loss before induction
Arantxa Sanchez Vicario admits she may not be ready for the emotions tomorrow may bring.
She will be inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame in Newport, R.I., and she's uncertain how she'll react.
"It's probably the best recognition you could have as a tennis player," Sanchez Vicario said. "I definitely know I'm really nervous. I can say that I'm more nervous than playing a match."
Before she headed to Rhode Island, Sanchez Vicario stopped in Boston to join the Lobsters in a World TeamTennis match against the New York Sportimes last night at the Beren Tennis Center at Harvard.
She was unable to lift the Lobsters as the Sportimes captured a 23-16 win.
In women's singles, Ashley Harkleroad moved out to a 3-0 lead against Sanchez Vicario. Lobsters coach Anne Smith then subbed in Julie Ditty, who came back to win, 5-3.
Sanchez Vicario later teamed with Amir Hadad in mixed doubles, but they lost to Jesse Witten and Harkleroad, 5-1.
In women's doubles, Sanchez Vicario paired with Ditty but bowed to Harkleroad and Hana Sromova, 5-3.
Despite the losses, Sanchez Vicario drew cheers from the crowd throughout her matches.
Sanchez Vicario is a few years removed from professional competition. She retired in 2002 at age 30. Her achievements included three French Open singles crowns and a US Open title in a career that spanned 17 years. In 1994, she made her first appearance in a WTT event, with New York.
Thirteen years later, Lobsters owner Bahar Uttam saw an opportunity to bring Sanchez Vicario back to WTT. Uttam was in search of a marquee player, hoping for Martina Navratilova or Jennifer Capriati. When neither was available, he was pleased to hear Sanchez Vicario would be in the area and willing to participate.
"It adds to the credibility of the whole event when you can attract people like Arantxa," Uttam said.
Sanchez Vicario's last match was a loss for the Spanish Fed Cup team, and she knew it was time to retire.
"I always thought I wanted to retire at the top of my game and be remembered as a champion," she said. "I wanted to try to start another life and do other things that I couldn't do before. I knew I could go longer because I was physically and mentally fit, but I would rather retire on top."
She had been to the top in 1995, reaching No. 1 in both singles and doubles, becoming one of four women to reach those summits simultaneously. She also played on Spain's Fed Cup team for 16 years, helping it capture titles in 1991, '93-95, and '98.
"I've done a lot for my country, especially for women's tennis," she said.
Since Sanchez Vicario retired, she has remained involved with tennis. She is a commentator for a Spanish television station, a women's tournament director, and works with two children's foundations in Spain and Africa.
She wants to be remembered "as a champion and as a happy person, because I think that's the most important thing." 