Sanchez-Vicario retires

Sanchez-Vicario won the French Open three times

Four-time Grand Slam winner Arantxa Sanchez-Vicario announced her retirement from tennis on Tuesday.

Sanchez-Vicario's career in pictures

"It was not an easy decision to take to retire from the sport," she said after bringing to an end her 17-year professional career.

"I believe the moment has arrived for me to dedicate my time to my personal life."

  Sanchez-Vicario factbox

1971: Born 18 December

1985: Turns professional

1989: Wins French Open

1994: Wins French and US Open titles

1998: Wins French Open

2002: Retires 12 Nov

Sanchez-Vicario turned professional in June 1985 at the age of 13.

Two years later she reached the quarter-finals of the French Open in her Grand Slam debut, aged just 15 years and seven months.

Since then the 30-year-old Spaniard has won 29 titles, including the French Open title three times and the US Open once.

She appeared at least once in the final of every Grand Slam event, and was crowned world number one in 1995.

She helped her country to five victories in the Fed Cup and was given the Principe de Asturias award, Spain's highest sporting honour, in 1998.

The tennis star's most recent competitive appearance was at last month's Fed Cup final in the Canary Islands when Spain were beaten 3-1 by Slovakia.

She retires holding the record for the most matches played in the Fed Cup (100), as well as further records for most matches won in the Fed Cup (72) and most ties played (58).

The Spaniard pulled out of this year's Wimbledon due to exhaustion, bringing to an end her run of appearances at 45 successive majors.

Send your plaudits on a glittering career