Career Earnings
During her professional career, Flavia Pennetta earned a total of $14,197,886 in official WTA prize money. Her career earnings placed her among the top 50 highest-earning women in WTA history at the time of her retirement.
Early Life
Flavia Pennetta was born on February 25, 1982, in Brindisi, a coastal city in southern Italy. She was introduced to tennis by her father at the age of five and began competing in junior tournaments throughout Italy. Showing early promise, she moved to Rome in her teens to train under the Italian Tennis Federation. Her technical skills and competitive spirit quickly distinguished her among her peers, setting the stage for a professional career.
Professional Breakthrough
Pennetta turned professional in 2000 and spent her early years gaining experience on the ITF Circuit and lower-tier WTA events. She began to break through in the mid-2000s, earning her first WTA title in 2004 in Sopot. Her career steadily ascended from there, and in August 2009, she made history by becoming the first Italian woman to crack the WTA top 10 in singles. Around the same time, she established herself as a doubles force, winning numerous titles with various partners. In February 2011, she achieved another milestone by reaching the No. 1 ranking in doubles—a first for any Italian woman. Her strong partnership with Argentine player Gisela Dulko led to consistent success, including a Grand Slam doubles title.
Grand Slam Highlights
Pennetta’s Grand Slam success came in two phases: doubles first, then singles. In 2011, she and Dulko won the Australian Open women’s doubles title, defeating Victoria Azarenka and Maria Kirilenko in the final. The pair had already claimed the year-end WTA Championship in 2010 and were considered one of the top teams on the tour. But it was her 2015 US Open singles title that secured her legacy. At age 33, Pennetta defeated Petra Kvitová and Simona Halep en route to the final, where she faced her close friend Roberta Vinci. In a match that followed Vinci’s stunning upset of Serena Williams, Pennetta triumphed in straight sets. During the trophy ceremony, she announced her retirement from professional tennis, explaining that she had made the decision weeks earlier and wanted to leave the sport on a high note.
Playing Style and Personality
Pennetta was known for her consistency, mental toughness, and well-rounded game. Her two-handed backhand, especially down the line, was one of her signature shots. She was a strong baseline player who could adapt to various surfaces, with clay and hard courts being her most successful. Off the court, she was widely respected for her sportsmanship, humility, and leadership among her peers.
Retirement and Legacy
After retiring in 2015, Pennetta transitioned smoothly into family life and occasional commentary work. Her decision to retire immediately after winning her first Grand Slam singles title was seen by many as poetic and admirable. She later married fellow Italian tennis star Fabio Fognini, and the couple has children together. Pennetta’s career helped pave the way for a golden era of Italian women’s tennis, which also included Sara Errani, Roberta Vinci, and Francesca Schiavone. Her accomplishments in both singles and doubles, her late-career Grand Slam win, and her trailblazing rankings achievements ensure that she remains a revered figure in the sport’s history.
