45 Facts About Gabriela Sabatini

Gabriela Beatriz Sabatini is an Argentine-Italian former professional tennis player.

In singles, Gabriela Sabatini won the 1990 US Open, the Tour Finals in 1988 and 1994, and was runner-up at Wimbledon 1991, the 1988 US Open, and the silver medalist at the 1988 Olympics.

In doubles, Gabriela Sabatini won Wimbledon in 1988 partnering Steffi Graf, and reached three French Open finals.

Gabriela Sabatini was born 16 May 1970 in Buenos Aires, Argentina, to Osvaldo and Beatriz Garofalo Gabriela Sabatini.

Gabriela Sabatini's elder brother, Osvaldo, is an actor and producer.

Gabriela Sabatini started playing tennis at the age of six, and won her first tournament at eight.

Gabriela Sabatini won the girls' singles at the 1984 French Open and the US Open girls' doubles with fellow Argentinian Mercedes Paz.

Gabriela Sabatini reached world No 1 in the junior rankings that year and was named 1984 Junior World Champion by the International Tennis Federation.

Gabriela Sabatini stated that she deliberately lost matches in her youth to avoid having to do on-court interviews and therefore avoid media attention.

Gabriela Sabatini said that her shyness had been a major problem, and she thought she had to speak on-court after playing in the final of a tournament; so, she would lose in the semifinals.

In 1985, aged 15 years and three weeks, Gabriela Sabatini became one of the youngest-ever players to reach the semifinals of the French Open, where she lost to Chris Evert.

Gabriela Sabatini won her first WTA Tour singles title later that year in Tokyo.

Gabriela Sabatini first entered the world's top ten in September 1985, and ended the year ranked number 12.

Gabriela Sabatini received the WTA Newcomer of the Year award.

Gabriela Sabatini reached the semifinals of Wimbledon in 1986, losing to Martina Navratilova, before winning her second WTA title in Buenos Aires, She re-entered the world's top ten in September 1986 and would remain there for 508 consecutive weeks until May 1996.

Gabriela Sabatini reached the semifinals of the 1987 French Open, and reached the final of the 1987 WTA Tour Championships, losing to Steffi Graf both times.

Gabriela Sabatini won three WTA titles, including defeating world No 4, Pam Shriver in Brighton.

In February 1988, Gabriela Sabatini entered the top five in rankings, and would remain there uninterrupted until August 1993.

Gabriela Sabatini represented Argentina in the 1988 Summer Olympics held in Seoul and was selected to carry her country's flag in the opening ceremony.

Gabriela Sabatini went on to win the silver medal in the women's singles competition, losing to Graf in the final.

In 1989, Gabriela Sabatini reached seven tournament finals and won four titles, including the Miami Open.

Gabriela Sabatini reached the semifinals of the Australian Open and US Open Grand Slam tournaments.

At the Australian Open, Gabriela Sabatini sprained her ankle during a third-round match while one set up, and had to be taken off Centre Court in a wheelchair.

Gabriela Sabatini reached the semi-finals of Wimbledon, losing to eventual champion Martina Navratilova, in straight sets.

Gabriela Sabatini credited her win with being more aggressive and coming to the net whenever she could to attack Graf's shorter balls.

Gabriela Sabatini won five tournaments in the first half of the year.

Gabriela Sabatini beat three top five players on her way to winning the title in Tokyo, and beat Graf on three further occasions in Boca Raton, Key Biscayne and Amelia Island.

Gabriela Sabatini came close to attaining the world No 1 ranking in 1991, but was narrowly denied by Graf and then Monica Seles.

Gabriela Sabatini's year was capped by receiving the WTA Most Improved Player of the Year award.

Gabriela Sabatini reached eight finals and won five titles, including her fourth Italian Open, Amelia Island and Hilton Head.

Gabriela Sabatini reached the semifinal stage at three of the four grand slams:- the Australian Open, French Open and Wimbledon; and a quarterfinal at the US Open.

Gabriela Sabatini reached consecutive finals at the Italian Open and German Open during the clay-court season.

Gabriela Sabatini reached the quarterfinals at Wimbledon, and at the US Open where she lost to Graf in three sets.

In 1994, Gabriela Sabatini reached the finals of Amelia Island and Strasbourg, and the semifinals of both the Australian Open and US Open.

Gabriela Sabatini won the title at the Sydney International, defeating Davenport in the final in straight sets.

Gabriela Sabatini missed several months of the season due to a pulled stomach muscle injury.

From 1986 until her five-month injury absence in 1996, Gabriela Sabatini spent 508 consecutive weeks within the world's top 10.

Gabriela Sabatini spent 312 of those weeks in the world's top five, and finished six consecutive seasons with a top-5 ranking.

Gabriela Sabatini reached the semifinal stage or better in Grand Slam championships on 18 occasions in singles and 14 times in doubles, and reached at least one Grand Slam singles semifinal for 11 consecutive years.

Gabriela Sabatini defeated the reigning world No 1 on ten occasions during her career.

Gabriela Sabatini won the Diamond Konex Award in 2000 as the most distinguished "Sportsperson of the Decade" in Argentina, and in July 2006 she was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame.

In 1992, Gabriela Sabatini became the first ever tennis player to have a rose named after her, an orange-red bloom.

That same year, Gabriela Sabatini published a motivational book entitled My Story.

Gabriela Sabatini was awarded the International Club's prestigious Jean Borotra Sportsmanship Award in 2017 in recognition of both the sportsmanship she demonstrated throughout her career, and for her charitable projects post-retirement.

Gabriela Sabatini received the award from Rod Laver at the 2018 Wimbledon Championships.