Roberta Vinci

Roberta Vinci is a retired Italian tennis player. Until 6 April 2015, she held the position of world No. 1 in doubles, and reached a career-high of No. 7 in singles in May 2016. She is the fourth Italian woman to have reached the top 10 in singles, having attained the rank after Flavia Pennetta, Francesca Schiavone and Sara Errani. At 33 years and 4 days old, she became the oldest player ever to make her first appearance in the top 10. Vinci rose to worldwide prominence at the 2015 US Open, when she reached the semifinals and defeated world No. 1, Serena Williams, in three sets, ending Williams's hopes of winning the calendar Grand Slam, in what has been described by numerous commentators as one of the biggest shocks in tennis history. She went on to lose to her childhood friend Flavia Pennetta in the first all-Italian Grand Slam final. Vinci won 35 WTA Tour titles, 10 in singles and 25 in doubles, including the 2012 French Open, the 2012 US Open, the 2013 Australian Open and 2014 Australian Open, and 2014 Wimbledon titles with regular partner Sara Errani. In doing so, they became only the fifth pair in tennis history to complete a career Grand Slam. She and her Italian teammates Mara Santangelo, Flavia Pennetta, and Francesca Schiavone beat the Belgian team 3-2 in the 2006 Fed Cup final. Justine Henin-Hardenne had to retire in the fifth and final match due to an injury in her right knee, which allowed Italy to win its first Fed Cup trophy. With the Italian team, she also won the Fed Cup in 2009 and 2010 against the USA.