CNN Open Court: Barcelona Bumblebee
This weekend, the WTA’s finest will descend on the Spanish capital to battle it out for one of the most prestigious titles on the tennis calendar, the Mutua Madrid Open.
Garbiñe Muguruza and Carla Suárez Navarro will lead the Spanish challenge, knowing that success on home soil will earn them a place in the hearts of their compatriots forever. Even in victory, though, both will still have a long way to go if they are to match the feats of Arantxa Sánchez-Vicario.
Affectionately known as the Barcelona Bumblebee, Sánchez-Vicario lived up to her moniker, buzzing the width and breadth of the court in the dogged pursuit of tennis balls, none seeming too distant to be deemed a lost cause. Her unquenchable thirst for the fight brought her four majors during a 17-year career, spent almost exclusively at the pinnacle of the game.
In the latest episode of CNN Open Court, Sánchez-Vicario sat down with Pat Cash to discuss Spanish tennis, her legendary career and that nickname.