Pilar Barril in Spain. No other Spanish player would reach a GS quarterfinal until Arantxa Sánchez Vicario in 1987. Pilar Barril Pilar Barril (10 October 1931 – 30 September 2011) was a female Spanish tennis player who was active during the 1950s and early 1960s. She and María Josefa de Riba were the first Spanish women to play international tennis tournaments after the World War II. She was the first Spanish lady to reach the quarterfinals of the French Open since Lilí de Álvarez. She was also a semifinalist in the 1956 mixed doubles competition. She was a pioneer, appearing regularly at
Arantxa Sánchez Vicario Cup in 1990 and 2002. Over the course of her career, Sánchez Vicario won 29 singles titles and 69 doubles titles before retiring in November 2002. She came out of retirement in 2004 to play doubles in a few select tournaments as well as the 2004 Summer Olympics, where she became the only tennis player to play in five Olympics in the Games history. Sanchez Vicario is the most decorated Olympian in Spanish history with four medals – two silver and two bronze. In 2005, "TENNIS "Magazine put her in 27th place in its list of 40 Greatest Players of