Flavia Pennetta Bio
Flavia Pennetta (born 25 February 1982) is an Italian former professional tennis player. She became Italy’s first top-ten female singles player on 17 August 2009 and the first Italian to be ranked world No. 1 in doubles, on 28 February 2011. She is a Grand Slam champion in both doubles and singles, having won the 2011 Australian Open women’s doubles title with Gisela Dulko, and the 2015 US Open singles title over childhood friend Roberta Vinci in the first all-Italian major final. Flavia Pennetta won ten other WTA singles titles, including the 2014 Indian Wells Open, where she defeated the top two seeds. She also was a mainstay in the Fed Cup team competition, helping Italy win four titles in 2006, 2009, 2010, and 2013. After winning the 2015 US Open, Pennetta announced she would retire at the end of the season, playing her last tournament at her WTA Finals singles debut. There, she defeated eventual champion Agnieszka Radwańska in the round-robin stage and retired with a top-ten singles ranking. Pennetta was pronounced a Knight of Order of Merit of the Republic on 24 January 2007 by Carlo Azeglio Ciampi, then President of Italy.
Early Life and Background
Flavia Pennetta was born in Brindisi, Italy. She was introduced to tennis at the age of five by her father. At age 17, she won the 1999 French Open in girls’ doubles with fellow Italian Roberta Vinci. Pennetta began to play on the ITF Women’s Circuit in 1997. The following year, she lost in the second round of her first qualifying tournament for a WTA Tour main draw, the Internazionali Femminili di Palermo. In 1999, Pennetta won two singles titles and two doubles titles on the ITF Circuit. She was unsuccessful in her several attempts to qualify for WTA Tour main draws in 2000. The following year, she limited her play to the ITF Circuit.
Path to Tennis
Pennetta played her first WTA Tour main-draw match at the Cellular South Cup in 2002, when she lost in the first round. She also lost in the first round in Palermo, but reached the second round of the Idea Prokom Open in Sopot. Her ranking reached the top 100 for the first time on 23 September 2002, when she reached No. 100. In 2003, Pennetta lost in the semifinals of the Hyderabad Open to eventual champion Tamarine Tanasugarn. She also reached the quarterfinals at the Canberra Women’s Classic, Copa Colsanitas, and Abierto Mexicano Telcel. She debuted in the main draws of all four Grand Slam tournaments. Her best result was the third round of the Roland Garros, where she defeated 21st-seeded American Lisa Raymond in the second round, before losing to Hungary’s Petra Mandula.
Flavia Pennetta Career
Early Career (2000-2005)
Pennetta started her career in 2000 and achieved her first notable work in 2004 when she won her first WTA Tour title at the Internazionali di Palermo. In 2005, she reached the quarterfinals of the Wimbledon Championships and ended the year ranked No. 23 in the world. Pennetta had a good start to the 2006 season, finishing runner-up at Gold Coast against Lucie Šafářová. At Sydney, she was defeated by Li Na in the first round. Going into the Australian Open, Pennetta defeated Cara Black and Martina Suchá, before falling to Nicole Vaidišová in the third round.
Breakthrough (2011-2015)
In 2011, Pennetta began her year at the Sydney International, where she defeated world No. 2, Vera Zvonareva, in a tough match. She went on to win her first career Grand Slam doubles title at the Australian Open, partnering with Gisela Dulko. On 28 February, she became the first Italian tennis player (male or female) to be ranked world No. 1 in doubles. In 2015, Pennetta had a remarkable run at the US Open, defeating several top players to reach the final. She won the match against Roberta Vinci, claiming her first ever US Open title and her first Grand Slam title.
Notable Works and Milestones
Flavia Pennetta’s signature work includes her victory at the 2015 US Open and her achievements in doubles, including winning the Australian Open in 2011. She reached a career-high ranking of No. 6 in singles and No. 1 in doubles, and won the Fed Cup four times between 2006 and 2013.
Flavia Pennetta Award Nominations
Throughout her career, Flavia Pennetta received multiple nominations for prestigious awards, reflecting her impact on the sport of tennis.
Flavia Pennetta Awards Won
Flavia Pennetta has won numerous awards during her career, including the US Open singles title in 2015 and the Australian Open doubles title in 2011.
Flavia Pennetta Family
Flavia Pennetta is married to fellow tennis player Fabio Fognini. The couple has three children: a son born in 2017 and two daughters born in 2019 and 2021.
Personal Life
Flavia Pennetta was born in Brindisi to Oronzo and Concetta Pennetta. She has an older sister and was introduced to tennis at a young age. Pennetta previously dated Carlos Moyá before beginning her relationship with Fabio Fognini, with whom she became engaged in 2015 and married in June 2016. She is a Catholic.
