Sánchez turned professional in
1984 and won his first top-level singles title in
Nice, France, in
1986. He won 15 singles titles during his career, the biggest of which was the
Italian Open (
Tennis Masters Series event) in
1991. His career-high singles ranking was World No. 7.
However it was in doubles where Sánchez really excelled. He captured 50 professional men's doubles titles, including three at Grand Slam events. In 1988 he won the men's doubles titles at both the
French Open (with
Andrés Gómez) and the
U.S. Open (with
Sergio Casal). He won the French Open title again (with Casal) in
1990. Sánchez and Casal were also the men's doubles runners-up at
Wimbledon in
1987, and the pair won the Silver Medal for Spain at the 1988 Olympics in
Seoul.
Sánchez also won two Grand Slam mixed doubles titles in 1987 at the French Open (with
Pam Shriver) and the U.S. Open (with
Martina Navrátilová).
Sánchez was ranked the World No. 1 doubles player in
1989.
Sánchez had an excellent record playing for Spain in international team events. He was a stalwart of
Spain's Davis Cup team from the mid-1980s to the mid-1990s, compiling a 32-23 record. And he was part of the Spanish teams which won the
Hopman Cup in 1990 and the
World Team Cup in
1992.
Sánchez is a member of one of the world's most successful tennis families. His sister
Arantxa Sánchez-Vicario and brother
Javier Sánchez were also both top-level players. In 1987, Emilio and Javier met in the final at Madrid, marking the first time that two brothers had faced each other in the final of a top-level tour tournament. Emilio won the match 6-3, 3-6, 6-2. Emilio and Javier faced each other a total of 12 times during their careers, with Emilio winning 10 of their match-ups. They played an exciting five-set match in the third round of the
1992 U.S. Open, which Emilio won 5-7, 6-1, 6-7, 7-6, 6-4.
Emilio Sánchez retired from the professional tour in
1997.
