Roberta Vinci Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids
Roberta Vinci
Singles
Vinci at the 2016 US Open
Country (sports)	Italy
Residence	Palermo, Italy
Born	(1983-02-18) 18 February 1983 (age 42) Taranto, Italy
Height	1.63 m (5 ft 4 in)
Turned pro	1999
Retired	14 May 2018
Plays	Right-handed (one-handed backhand)
Prize money	$11,808,215
Career record	565–412 (57.83%)
Career titles	10
Highest ranking	No. 7 (9 May 2016)
Grand Slam singles results
Australian Open	3R (2006, 2010, 2013, 2016)
French Open	4R (2013)
Wimbledon	4R (2012, 2013)
US Open	F (2015)
Doubles
Career record	415–205 (66.94%)
Career titles	25
Highest ranking	No. 1 (15 October 2012)
Grand Slam doubles results
Australian Open	W (2013, 2014)
French Open	W (2012)
Wimbledon	W (2014)
US Open	W (2012)
Other doubles tournaments
Tour Finals	SF (2012, 2013)
Team competitions
Fed Cup	W (2006, 2009, 2010, 2013) record 23–8

Roberta Vinci (born 18 February 1983) is an Italian professional padel player. She is also a former tennis player. In doubles tennis, she won all four major tournaments, known as a Career Grand Slam. She also became the world No. 1 in doubles.

In singles, Roberta reached a career-high ranking of world No. 7 in May 2016. She was 33 years and 4 days old when she first entered the top 10. This made her the oldest player to do so.

Vinci became famous at the 2015 US Open. She beat the world No. 1, Serena Williams, in the semifinals. This stopped Serena from winning a Grand Slam that year. Many people called it one of the biggest upsets in tennis history. Roberta then played against her childhood friend, Flavia Pennetta, in the final. It was the first time two Italian players met in a major final.

Roberta won 35 titles in her career. She won 10 in singles and 25 in doubles. Her doubles wins include the 2012 French Open, the 2012 US Open, the 2013 and 2014 Australian Opens, and 2014 Wimbledon. She won these with her regular partner, Sara Errani. Together, they were only the fifth pair in tennis history to complete a career Grand Slam.

Roberta also helped the Italian team win the Fed Cup. They beat the Belgian team in the 2006 Fed Cup final. This was Italy's first Fed Cup trophy. She won the Fed Cup again in 2009 and 2010. Both times, they defeated the U.S. team in the final.

At the 2012 US Open, Roberta reached her first major singles quarterfinal. She was 29 years old. She beat the world No. 2, Agnieszka Radwańska. She later lost to her doubles partner, Sara Errani. Roberta retired from professional tennis in 2018. In 2022, she started playing on the professional padel tour. She reached a ranking of world No. 66 in her first season.

Early Life
Tennis Career Highlights
Playing Style
Retirement from Tennis
Padel Career
Grand Slam Finals
- Singles: 1 (runner-up)
- Doubles: 8 (5 titles, 3 runner-ups)
Team Competition
Images for kids
See also

Early Life

Roberta Vinci was born in Taranto, Italy. Her father, Angelo Vinci, was an accountant. Her mother, Luisa, was a homemaker. Roberta has an older brother named Francesco. She started playing tennis when she was six years old. Today, she lives in Palermo.

Tennis Career Highlights

Starting Out

Roberta Vinci began her professional tennis career in 1999. She played in an ITF tournament in Italy. That same year, she won the French Open in girls' doubles with fellow Italian Flavia Pennetta. She played in her first Grand Slam at the 2001 US Open.

In 2005, she had a big win against Anastasia Myskina. Myskina was a former world No. 2 and a French Open champion. In 2007, Roberta won her first WTA title in Bogotá. She beat Tathiana Garbin after Garbin had to stop playing due to injury.

Becoming a Doubles Champion

Roberta Vinci became very successful in doubles tennis. She formed a strong partnership with fellow Italian Sara Errani. Together, they won many important tournaments.

In 2012, they won the doubles title at the French Open. They also won the US Open that year. These were their first Grand Slam titles together. Their success continued in 2013 when they won the Australian Open.

In 2014, they won the Australian Open again. They also won Wimbledon that year. By winning all four Grand Slam tournaments, they achieved a "Career Grand Slam." This is a rare and amazing feat in tennis. Roberta also reached the world No. 1 ranking in doubles in 2012.

Team Success with Italy

Roberta was a key player for the Italian Fed Cup team. The Fed Cup is a major international team competition in tennis. She helped Italy win the Fed Cup trophy four times.

They won in 2006, 2009, 2010, and 2013. These wins showed how strong the Italian team was. Roberta played an important role in these victories.

Singles Highlights

While known for doubles, Roberta also had great singles moments. In 2012, she reached her first Grand Slam singles quarterfinal at the US Open. She repeated this in 2013.

Her most famous singles moment was at the 2015 US Open. She was ranked No. 43 in the world. She played against the world No. 1, Serena Williams, in the semifinals. Serena was trying to win all four Grand Slams in one year. Roberta won the match in three sets, which was a huge surprise. She then played in the final against Flavia Pennetta, losing in two sets. This was her only Grand Slam singles final.

In 2016, Roberta won her tenth singles title at the St. Petersburg Trophy. This was her first title since 2013. Soon after, she reached her highest singles ranking of world No. 7. She became the oldest player to enter the top 10 for the first time.

Playing Style

Roberta Vinci was known for her unique playing style. She was excellent at the net, which is common for doubles players. She also used a special shot called a "backhand slice" very often. This shot makes the ball spin backwards, making it hard for opponents to hit.

Some people compared her game to Steffi Graf, a famous tennis legend. This was because of her backhand slice, strong forehand, and great movement on the court.

Retirement from Tennis

Roberta announced her plans to retire after the Italian Open in 2018. She played her final match there against Aleksandra Krunić. Even though she lost, she was happy with her career. She said she was "happy for what I've accomplished."

Padel Career

After retiring from tennis, Roberta Vinci started a new career in padel in 2022. Padel is a sport similar to tennis and squash. She played on the professional padel tour. She reached a ranking of world No. 66 in her first year. Roberta also represented Italy at the Padel World Championship.

Grand Slam Finals

Singles: 1 (runner-up)

Result	Year	Championship	Surface	Opponent	Score
Loss	2015	US Open	Hard	Flavia Pennetta	6–7^(4–7), 2–6

Doubles: 8 (5 titles, 3 runner-ups)

Result	Year	Championship	Surface	Partner	Opponents	Score
Loss	2012	Australian Open	Hard	Sara Errani	Svetlana Kuznetsova Vera Zvonareva	5–7, 6–4, 6–3
Win	2012	French Open	Clay	Sara Errani	Maria Kirilenko Nadia Petrova	4–6, 6–4, 6–2
Win	2012	US Open	Hard	Sara Errani	Andrea Hlaváčková Lucie Hradecká	6–4, 6–2
Win	2013	Australian Open	Hard	Sara Errani	Ashleigh Barty Casey Dellacqua	6–2, 3–6, 6–2
Loss	2013	French Open	Clay	Sara Errani	Ekaterina Makarova Elena Vesnina	5–7, 2–6
Win	2014	Australian Open (2)	Hard	Sara Errani	Ekaterina Makarova Elena Vesnina	6–4, 3–6, 7–5
Loss	2014	French Open	Clay	Sara Errani	Hsieh Su-wei Peng Shuai	4–6, 1–6
Win	2014	Wimbledon	Grass	Sara Errani	Tímea Babos Kristina Mladenovic	6–1, 6–3