Gabriela Sabatini was born on May 16, 1970, in Buenos Aires, Argentina. She is the daughter of Osvaldo and Beatriz Garofalo Sabatini. In addition to her Argentine nationality, she holds Italian citizenship through jus sanguinis. This is the biography of the former professional tennis player who became one of the most recognized figures in women's tennis during the 1980s and 1990s.
Gabriela began playing tennis at the age of six. Just two years later, she won her first tournament, showcasing a precocious talent that would soon blossom on the global stage.
At just 13, Sabatini won the prestigious Orange Bowl in Miami, Florida, becoming the youngest player to claim the title at that time. She also captured the girls' singles title at the French Open, among other junior accolades. By 1984, she was ranked the No. 1 junior player in the world.
Her professional ascent was swift. At 15, she reached the semifinals of the French Open. In 1986, she secured her first top-level singles title in Tokyo. Two years later, in 1988, she reached her first Grand Slam final at the US Open, where she was defeated by Steffi Graf in a highly anticipated match between two rising stars of women's tennis.
Sabatini represented Argentina at the 1988 Summer Olympics in Seoul, where she won the silver medal in the women's singles event. Once again, she faced Steffi Graf in the final. Graf's victory gave her the only Golden Slam in tennis history—winning all four Grand Slam tournaments and the Olympic gold medal in a single calendar year. Sabatini's silver medal, however, marked a proud moment for Argentine tennis.
Also in 1988, Sabatini played doubles alongside Steffi Graf at Wimbledon. Later that year, she won the WTA Tour Championships. In 1990, she returned to the US Open, where she earned a career-defining victory, defeating Steffi Graf in straight sets to capture her first—and only—Grand Slam singles title.
At the WTA Tour Championships that same year, she again beat Graf in the semifinal but lost to Monica Seles in the final. In 1991, she reached the Wimbledon final—her third Grand Slam singles final—but lost to Graf. Despite narrowly missing the No. 1 world ranking, Sabatini finished the year with four tournament titles. In 1992, she claimed five more titles but was unsuccessful in reaching another Grand Slam final. She experienced disappointing Grand Slam results, including losses to Mary Joe Fernández at the Australian Open, Monica Seles at the French Open, and Steffi Graf in the Wimbledon final.
| Birth Date: | 16 May, 1970 |
| Age: | 49 yrs |
| Occupations: | Tennis player |
| Citizenship: | Argentina |
| Birth Place: | Buenos Aires |
| residence: | Buenos Aires |
| Gender: | Female |
| Description: | Argentine tennis player |
| Net Worth 2021: | 8 million |
