Flavia Pennetta facts for kids
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Flavia Pennetta at the 2015 French Open
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| Country (sports) |  Italy |
|---|---|
| Residence | Brindisi, Italy |
| Born | 25 February 1982 Brindisi |
| Height | 1.72 m (5 ft 8 in) |
| Turned pro | 25 February 2000 |
| Retired | 29 October 2015 |
| Plays | Right-handed (two-handed backhand) |
| Prize money | $14,197,886
|
| Official website | flaviapennetta.eu |
| Singles | |
| Career record | 582–365 (61.46%) |
| Career titles | 11 |
| Highest ranking | No. 6 (28 September 2015) |
| Grand Slam singles results | |
| Australian Open | QF (2014) |
| French Open | 4R (2008, 2010, 2015) |
| Wimbledon | 4R (2005, 2006, 2013) |
| US Open | W (2015) |
| Other tournaments | |
| Tour Finals | RR (2015) |
| Olympic Games | 3R (2012) |
| Doubles | |
| Career record | 393–243 (61.79%) |
| Career titles | 17 |
| Highest ranking | No. 1 (28 February 2011) |
| Grand Slam doubles results | |
| Australian Open | W (2011) |
| French Open | QF (2010, 2015) |
| Wimbledon | SF (2010, 2012) |
| US Open | F (2005, 2014) |
| Other doubles tournaments | |
| Tour Finals | W (2010) |
| Olympic Games | QF (2008) |
| Team competitions | |
| Fed Cup | W (2006, 2009, 2010, 2013), record 25–5 |
Flavia Pennetta is a famous Italian former professional tennis player. She made history as the first Italian woman to reach the top ten in singles tennis. She was also the first Italian to become the world No. 1 in doubles.
Flavia won a major title in doubles at the 2011 Australian Open with her partner Gisela Dulko. She also won a huge singles title at the 2015 US Open. This was a special moment because she played against her childhood friend Roberta Vinci in the final. It was the first time two Italian players had ever met in a major final!
She won ten other singles titles on the WTA Tour, including the 2014 Indian Wells Open. Flavia was also a key player for the Italian Fed Cup team. She helped Italy win four team titles in 2006, 2009, 2010, and 2013.
After winning the 2015 US Open, Flavia announced she would retire from tennis. She played her last tournament at the WTA Finals and retired while still ranked in the top ten.
Contents
Flavia Pennetta's Tennis Journey
Starting Young
Flavia Pennetta was born on February 25, 1982. She started playing tennis when she was just five years old. Her father introduced her to the sport. When she was 17, she won the French Open in girls' doubles with her friend Roberta Vinci. This was a great start to her career.
She began playing on the professional ITF Women's Circuit in 1997. By September 2002, her ranking reached the top 100 for the first time.
First Big Wins
In 2003, Flavia reached the semifinals of the Hyderabad Open. She also made it to the quarterfinals in several other tournaments. She played in the main draws of all four Grand Slam tournaments for the first time that year. Her best result was reaching the third round of the French Open.
Winning Her First WTA Title
In 2004, Flavia reached her first WTA Tour final at the Mexicano Open. Later that year, she won her first WTA Tour title at the Sopot tournament in Poland. She defeated Klára Koukalová in the final. This was a big step in her career.
Reaching the Top 30
Flavia continued to improve in 2005. She won two titles in a row at the Copa Colsanitas and the Mexican Open. She also reached the fourth round of Wimbledon. By the end of 2005, she was ranked No. 23 in the world.
Grand Slam Quarterfinals and Top 20
In 2008, Flavia had a great year. She won two titles early in the year in Chile and Mexico. She also had a memorable win over Venus Williams at the French Open.
Later in 2008, she reached the quarterfinals of the US Open. This was her best singles performance at a Grand Slam tournament up to that point. She beat several top players on her way to the quarterfinals.
Breaking into the Top 10
Flavia continued her success in 2009. She helped Italy win the Fed Cup semifinals against Russia. She also reached the semifinals of the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix, beating two top-ten players.
In August 2009, Flavia made history. She became the first Italian woman to enter the top ten in singles tennis. She reached the semifinals of the Cincinnati Open, which helped her achieve this milestone. She also reached the quarterfinals of the US Open for the second year in a row.
Doubles Success and World No. 1
The year 2010 was very successful for Flavia in doubles. She won the doubles title at the Miami Open with her partner Gisela Dulko. She also won a singles title in Spain.
In 2011, Flavia achieved a huge milestone. She won her first Grand Slam doubles title at the Australian Open with Gisela Dulko. They beat Victoria Azarenka and Maria Kirilenko in the final.
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On February 28, 2011, Flavia became the first Italian tennis player, male or female, to be ranked world No. 1 in doubles. This was a truly amazing achievement. She also reached the quarterfinals of the US Open for the third time.
Overcoming Injury
In 2012, Flavia faced a challenge when she had a wrist injury. She had surgery on her right wrist in August 2012. This meant she missed some tournaments, including the US Open.
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She returned to playing in 2013. Despite her lower ranking, she had a fantastic run at the US Open. She reached her first Grand Slam singles semifinal, beating many higher-ranked players along the way. This showed her incredible fighting spirit after her injury.
Indian Wells Champion
In 2014, Flavia won the biggest singles title of her career at Indian Wells. This is a very important tournament, often called the "fifth Grand Slam." She defeated top players like Li Na and Agnieszka Radwańska to win the final.
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She also reached the US Open doubles final with Martina Hingis in 2014. This was her second time reaching the US Open doubles final.
Grand Slam Champion and Retirement
The year 2015 was the most incredible year of Flavia's career. She reached the quarterfinals of Indian Wells again, beating world No. 2, Maria Sharapova.
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Then came the US Open. Flavia, seeded 26th, played amazingly. She reached the quarterfinals for the sixth time. In the semifinals, she defeated the second seed, Simona Halep, to reach her first-ever Grand Slam singles final.
In the final, she played against her good friend Roberta Vinci. Flavia won the match, claiming her first Grand Slam singles title! It was a dream come true. During her acceptance speech, she announced that she would retire from tennis at the end of the season. She played her last professional singles match at the WTA Finals in Singapore.
Flavia Pennetta retired with 28 career titles. She reached No. 6 in the world in singles and No. 1 in doubles. She also helped Italy win the Fed Cup four times.
Life Outside Tennis
Flavia Pennetta was born in Brindisi, Italy. She has an older sister. Her tennis idol was Monica Seles.
Flavia started dating fellow Italian tennis player Fabio Fognini in 2014. They got engaged in 2015 and were married in June 2016. They have three children: a son born in 2017, a daughter born in 2019, and another daughter born in 2021.
Her cousin, Claudia Giovine, is also a tennis player. Flavia is a Catholic.
Equipment
- Coach: Salvador Navarro
- Racket: Wilson BLX Blade 98 16/19
- Clothing: Adidas
- Shoes: Adidas
Honours
- Knight of Order of Merit of the Republic (awarded on January 24, 2007)
Images for kids
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Flavia Pennetta at the 2015 French Open
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Pennetta reached the quarterfinals of the 2008 US Open, her first at a Grand Slam
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Pennetta at the 2009 US Open
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Pennetta at the US Open in 2010
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Pennetta at the French Open in 2011
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Pennetta at the 2012 Miami Open
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Pennetta and Elena Baltacha at Wimbledon in 2013
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2014 Pennetta reached her fifth US Open quarterfinal
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Pennetta at Wimbledon in 2015
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See also
In Spanish: Flavia Pennetta para niños
