Arantxa and husband told to leave funeral home

Arantxa Sánchez Vicario and her husband, Josep Santacana, were thrown out of the Les Corts funeral home in Barcelona after trying to pay their respects to the retired tennis star’s deceased father, Emilio. “Get out of here, you’re not welcome”, family members screamed at the former world number one’s spouse on his arrival. According to witnesses, Arantxa’s older brother Javier was close to coming to blows with his sister’s partner. The commotion caused the as of yesterday widowed Marisa Luisa Vicario Rubi to faint.

Furious, Arantxa came to the defence of her husband before leaving the scene on account of the tense atmosphere. “My siblings forbid me from being there. I don’t want to cause a scene”, the Roland Garros winner said twenty minutes after her arrival. “How dare you show your face here”, the family told Santacana, who they have openly accused of causing a rift between them and Aranxta. The problems between the two parties have been well publicised in Spain and have even resulted in legal action.

The 44-year-old began legal proceedings against her father and brother for mismanaging her €45 million fortune after it was revealed that she had run into extreme financial difficult.