Gabriela Sabatini: A Legendary Breakthrough

Every time I mention I had the privilege of working with Gabriela Sabatini prior to her U.S. Open 1990 victory, women tell me how much they enjoyed watching her play and men unabashedly tell me “I was so in love with her…”

• Gabriela’s resonance goes beyond her tennis skills, her beauty and style. She’s an ambassador for kindness, unassuming elegance and international understanding.
• For some, her resonance represents our desire to experience a Cinderella story like hers, to be the underestimated competitor who overcomes obstacles to achieve an improbable, yet extraordinary success.

There are many champions. Few become legends, and Gaby is one of them.

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The Grand Slam Breakthrough: Gabriela Sabatini's Journey

On a beautiful, sunny afternoon on September 8, 1990, Gabriela Sabatini fulfilled her lifetime dream by winning the U.S. Open Tennis Championships in New York. Before a TV audience of millions, she crushed the match point, leaping toward the sky with her clenched fist, having just defeated Steffi Graf, her longtime nemesis and the best player in the world at the time.

I had the privilege of watching this triumphant moment from her players’ box, sharing in the celebration with her coach and her family.

Just five months earlier, Gabriela had been ready to walk away from tennis altogether, despite her #3 WTA ranking. After a series of disappointing early-round losses, she felt disheartened, burned out, and devoid of joy.

At the time, I was working in Florida with Dr. Jim Loehr, the world’s leading sport psychologist, assisting some of the top tennis players in the world in their mental toughness training. At her father’s request, Jim and I began working immediately with Gabriela to help her untangle her emotional struggles and rediscover her passion.

• Our initial conversations revealed that she was stuck in routines that no longer energized her. Burnout had drained her enthusiasm for the game she once loved. We knew that to bring her back to form, we had to help her see beyond the grind of daily training and embrace a broader, deeper perspective on life.
• Our work with Gabriela centered on transforming her mindset, helping her understand that her thoughts were deeply influencing her emotions and actions. She needed to break free from her negative thought patterns and start acting as she did when she was at her best — confident, engaged, and full of joy.
• Gradually, Gabriela began to shift her focus, rediscovering what made tennis thrilling for her in the first place. Our conversations focused on the positive, optimistic and constructive aspects of her extraordinary talent and itinerant lifestyle. Step by step, Gabriela started to embrace a new way of thinking, feeling, and acting, aligning herself with the vision of her "future self" — the legendary champion she wanted to become.

Gabriela’s ultimate triumph at the U.S. Open 1990 wasn’t just about winning a Grand Slam title. It was about learning to lead herself, to align her energy with her purpose, and to become whole in her pursuit of excellence. This breakthrough revitalized not only her career but also her outlook on life, inspiring thousands of young girls and tennis enthusiasts to chase their dreams.

Tennis is more than just a game — it requires deep personal alignment to achieve peak performance - and for Gabriela, this alignment radiated outward, inspiring others to strive for greatness. Her success would create a path for many other young women to follow.

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The Early Years: From Bashful Girl to Tennis Prodigy

I first met Gabriela Sabatini when she was only nine years old in Buenos Aires, Argentina. She was one of the most bashful girls I'd ever encountered, yet she was already defeating some of the best under-14 players in the country.

By the time she was 12, I had the privilege of recording the first-ever video of her in action as she played against one of my nationally ranked players. That player, Silvia Martinez, watched the tape with me and immediately recognized Gabriela’s extraordinary talent: "Gabriela is the future of Argentine tennis. She will be the world-class player we've never had before. She's phenomenal."

At 14, Gabriela reached the semifinals of the French Open, playing with a wooden Prince racquet against Chris Evert, and instantly became a darling of the tennis world. Over the years, we stayed in touch, meeting at tournaments like Roland Garros and Wimbledon, as well as Miami and Hilton Head Island. We developed a strong friendship based on trust and honoring her immense potential, but it was during her most difficult times that we would work most closely together.

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A Turning Point: Gabriela Sabatini Reinvents Herself

When Gabriela’s father approached me in April 1990, her family supported her wholeheartedly, as a tight-knit clan. They were willing to make the changes necessary to help her rediscover her joy. It wasn’t easy for them, as it would require stepping out of their comfort zone in several areas. My long conversations with Osvaldo Sabatini, her father, involved shifting perspectives and considering new approaches to support her process.

• Dr. Jim Loehr and I focused on reshaping her training regimen, incorporating humor, variety, and most importantly, helping her reconnect with the emotional reasons behind her love for tennis. We also suggested she hire Carlos Kirmayr, a former ATP player from Brazil who understood Sport Science, had a great sense of humor and lived the growth mindset.
• In addition to regular conversations addressing emotional and mental training, we used a unique method: creating music videos featuring her favorite songs that showcased her playing at her best. My brother Robert compiled and edited the clips that showed her winning and celebrating. She had to watch them at least twice a day. These videos helped her feel the rush of competition again, and slowly, her passion reignited. In her diaries and conversations, Gabriela began to express positive emotions, and her confidence blossomed.

The turning point came at the 1990 U.S. Open semifinals. Facing Mary Joe Fernandez and trailing 2-4 in the third set, Gabriela made a bold decision. She started charging the net after every short ball, changing the momentum of the match. She won the set 6-4, and that victory propelled her to the final against Steffi Graf.

As soon as I saw her shake hands at the net, I was on the phone booking my flight from Sarasota to New York. The next call was to Gabriela's brother, Osvaldo, to make sure I could get a ticket to get in. He said it would be at "Will Call."

The next afternoon, I got to the Will Call window and the ticket wasn't there. Time for creativity (no cell phones back then!) I decided to walk to the CBS trailers and knocked on the producer's door. Shamelessly, I identified myself as Gabriela's guest in distress (I did not mention our professional relationship). I asked the kind lady to call the Players Lounge so I could alert Osvaldo.

I was dressed in a Hugo Boss jacket and tie. She complimented me on the ensemble and got Osvaldo on the phone at the player’s lounge. He said he would meet me at the gate. To this day, I consider the CBS producer’s help to be one of my luckiest breaks ever. I am forever grateful to her.

The Championship Match: A Day of Glory

As we sat down at the player’s box, Carlos Kirmayr, told me that Gabriela was remarkably calm, singing love songs in Spanish as if she was still in the shower. Everything seemed to be in our favor. Kirmayr got a seat with his lucky number (#11) and told me that a clairvoyant he knew had predicted that Gabriela would beat Steffi Graf. According to Osvaldo, my #13 seat would take any bad vibes away from her. When the match started, our player’s box was creating as much psychic energy as a nuclear power plant. That was something that Steffi probably didn't have on her side.

The match started under perfect conditions — a sunny, cloudless, with crisp air. Gabriela took the first set quickly, 6-2, but the second set was hard fought. As tension mounted, Osvaldo and I clenched our fists with every point. Sensing Gabriela was on the edge of glory was excruciating for us to watch. She maintained her focus and won the tiebreaker convincingly, securing her victory and etching her name into tennis history.

The moment Gabriela jumped in the air, bathed in the flashing lights of cameras, her brother crushed me with a bear hug. It wasn’t just a victory over Steffi Graf — it was a victory over the doubts, fear, and burnout that had once plagued her.

Gabriela Sabatini had become a Grand Slam champion and a conqueror of her new identity, a Breakthrough in every sense.

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The Celebration: A Night to Remember

We traveled to the hotel together in the tournament car with her agent Richard Dell and her long-time friend and doubles partner, Mercedes Paz. When we arrived at her hotel suite we found that Donald Trump had sent her several dozens of white roses.

That evening, we celebrated at an Italian restaurant on Third Avenue with Chris Evert. Andy Mill, Anne Person. Richard Dell, Argentine journalists and several close friends. Gabriela basked in the joy of her accomplishment, in silence. I sat facing her to share her fascination with “living the dream,” as she took it all in. It was a night of laughter, camaraderie, and Dom Perignon that stretched till midnight.

I didn’t have time to book a hotel, so I collapsed on the sofa at the team's Park Avenue hotel suite. At eight in the morning. Gaby tiptoed outsider her room and woke me up, "Let's go have breakfast together," she said.

At the hotel's dining room, everyone glanced at her but few came by to congratulate her. I wanted her to feel the people's affection, so I suggested: "Let’s go buy all the newspapers." I knew she wouldn’t have thought of it and I wanted her to sense the magnitude of her triumph.

Once on the street, we stood at Park Avenue's median. I asked her to look at the Pan Am building and reminded her of New York's prophecy: "If you can make it there, you'll make it anywhere." A few seconds later, a dozen youngsters from several countries mobbed us to get her autograph. Others were jumping off cars and walking backwards to look at her. “I saw you yesterday on TV!” I looked like her bodyguard, so everyone was respectful of her space.

We walked to Bloomingdale's, stopping every 50 yards so she could shake hands with fans of all ages. We bought Mrs. Field's cookies and a couple of music tapes. All the way, people shouted from vehicles and waved to show her their warmth and appreciation for her triumph. Many of them didn't even know her name, but were all able to recognize her. "Yo, you are the tennis girl!" they would blurt out while pointing to her face.

When we went back to the hotel, she wrote me a beautiful thank-you note on the back of the breakfast menu, which I have framed besides an action picture of her: "A great friend, who always had confidence in me. Simply, thank you for your support and honesty."

I believe that the friendship of those we serve is the foundation of our progress. I cannot find enough words to express my gratitude for her trust.

For Dr. Loehr and I, Gabriela’s victory resulted in an unexpected shift in business opportunities. Neil Amdur at the sports section of The New York Times mentioned that we had been assisting her in the mental toughness training.

I vividly remember how our office phone started ringing non-stop after that. The callers were not only tennis people; they were CEOs, a neurosurgeon, a violinist, golfers and product developers… It was the start of a new dimension for sports psychology and the birth or a new company that went on to make outstanding contributions to sports science and health.

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A Legacy Beyond Tennis

Her induction into the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 2006 was a fitting recognition to her achievement, but more than that, Gabriela Sabatini remains an ambassador of the values that transcend the sport. She exemplifies the kind of transformation that leads not only to personal achievement but also to inspiring others to follow their dreams.

In 2019, the ITF presented Gabriela with its highest accolade, the Philippe Chatrier Award, for her achievements both during her tennis career and post-retirement charity work, specifically her work involving UNICEF, UNESCO, the Special Olympics, and as an 'Athlete Role Model' at the 2018 Youth Olympic Games.

Gabriela Sabatini’s journey from contemplating retirement to winning the U.S. Open is a testament to the power of emotional resilience and personal growth.

Her victory wasn’t just about technical skill or physical prowess; it was about finding joy, purpose, and alignment in her life. This transformation went far beyond tennis, and her legacy continues to inspire athletes and non-athletes alike to this day.

The lesson we can all learn from Gabriela’s breakthrough is that when we nurture our emotional well-being and align our actions with our values, we can operate and achieve in our ideal performance state.

Gabriela’s story reminds us that the path to greatness isn’t linear, but with courage and self-leadership, we can overcome even the most daunting challenges.

In her journey, we find the blueprint for realizing our potential, for leading ourselves before we can lead others, and for living in alignment with our highest selves.

Your Next Steps to Achieve Breakthrough

• Learn about Leadership Performance Strategies for Executives
• Get Support for Your Career Transition Approach
• Engage Carlos Salum for Keynote Presentation or Workshop
• Read "The Glass is Full and a Half" book