Gabriela Sabatini has been wowing crowds for decades and, rather like during her playing days, the elegant Argentinian dazzled under the spotlight of the 2019 ITF World Champions Dinner before bowing out while onlookers retained the appetite for more.

Sabatini was the star turn at the prestigious event as the 49-year-old collected the 2019 Philippe Chatrier Award – the highest accolade the ITF bestows upon an individual – following an outstanding playing career and dedicated service to the game and community-based projects since.

There was a degree of symmetry to it all. Sabatini won the Junior Roland Garros title as a 14-year-old in 1984 – a feat which resulted in her crowning as ITF Junior World Champion in Paris – and now she was back in the French capital to celebrate her life in tennis.

“That was a big moment in my career and my life changed a lot in that moment,” said Sabatini on arrival at Pavillon Gabriel, as she reflected on her Junior Roland Garros success and past association with the city.

The 400-strong gathering of the tennis family were treated to memories of Sabatini’s playing career, which included a silver medal at the 1988 Olympic Games in Seoul, where she was also Argentina’s flagbearer, a 1988 Wimbledon doubles title alongside Steffi Graf and the US Open singles gong two years later – her crowning glory.

Sabatini’s off-court life and roles with UNICEF, UNESCO, the Special Olympics and the Youth Olympic Games were also celebrated, before she was welcomed on stage by MC for evening Annabel Croft and presented with the Philippe Chatrier Award by ITF President David Haggerty.

“During my career I went through difficult moments; travelling by myself around the world, coping with different pressures and missing my country and friends. I was living a different life to any other girl would have at that age. But in the end, all that effort was worth it,” added Sabatini.

“Tennis gave me wings. It has strengthened me physically and mentally. I learned to work hard – very hard for what I wanted – with passion, love and discipline. I had the opportunity to travel around the world to see new cultures, new people and make friends from all over.

“It gave me the temperament to confront tough moments. I learned from winning, but more from losing. I will always be grateful to tennis. More than 20 years have gone by since my retirement and the mark that tennis has left on me will be forever.

“Tennis and sport teach values. It brings us together through sharing the same passion and gives us the opportunity to grow, to challenge ourselves and become better.”

The evening also saw the 2018 ITF World Champions across all disciplines officially crowned and the exploits of Fed Cup by BNP Paribas champions Czech Republic and their Davis Cup equivalents Croatia celebrated.

Romania’s Simona Halep, despite having a women’s singles quarter-final against Amanda Anisimova to navigate on Court Philippe Chatrier the following day, was more than happy to relive last year’s Roland Garros triumph – her maiden Grand Slam title – and revel in the plaudits that has brought.

“All my hard work has paid off and I’m so happy to be here,” said the 27-year-old. “Even though I play tomorrow, I could not say ‘no’ to this. I am so grateful for this trophy. It is very important for me and it will be with my top trophies; Grand Slam No. 1 and this one.”

Novak Djokovic – a six-time ITF World Champion who at this year’s Roland Garros is bidding to win four successive Grand Slams for the second time in his career, was unable to attend the ceremony, but reflected on his resurgence following elbow surgery in a video link.

“I would like to thank the ITF for this wonderful award,” he said. “It has been an amazing comeback season for me. It took several months for me to recover, get back on the right track and find the game that would allow me – later in the year – to have arguably the best six months of my career.”

The doubles achievements of Czech pair Katerina Siniakova and Barbora Krejcikova, who won back-to-back Grand Slam titles at Roland Garros and Wimbledon, and serial major-winner Mike Bryan – now a 12-time ITF World Champion – and Jack Sock, who formed an unlikely but highly-successful partnership during 2018, were also lauded.

France’s Clara Burel – ITF Junior Masters champion following a string of near misses in 2018 – and Tseng Chun Hsin of Chinese Taipei, who scooped consecutive Grand Slams at Roland Garros and Wimbledon, were the toast of the juniors. Tseng was unable to be at the event in person due to attending his High School graduation. “Unfortunately, two big moments in my life have come at the same time,” joked Tseng via video link.

The achievements of eight-time ITF World Champion Shingo Kunieda, Diede de Groot – a player chasing a career Grand Slam at Roland Garros this year – and the ever-ebullient Dylan Alcott were also acclaimed, with the trio on hand to collect their wheelchair awards.

Being in Paris proved a poignant moment for Alcott as quad singles and doubles will be contested at Roland Garros and indeed Wimbledon for the first time. “I think I’ll look sexy in white,” said the Australian. “It is a dream of mine to win all four Grand Slams. I promise I won’t let you down. I promise I’ll put on a show.”