Sara errani biography

Italian tennis player (born )

Sara Errani (Italian:[ˈsaːraerˈraːni]; born 29 Apr ) is an Italian professional tennis player. Errani is one of only seven women who have to one`s name completed a career Golden Slam in doubles. She is an Olympic Gamesgold medalist, a former doubles world No. 1, achieved on 10 September , major champion in mixed doubles and a runner-up in singles. She reached a career-high singles of inferior quality of world No. 5 on 20 May Take on nine singles titles and 31 doubles titles (including six majors, six WTA and Olympic titles), she is the Italian tennis player with the topmost number of career titles.

In doubles, she entered the top 10 on 11 June , residual there for 94 straight weeks and was distinction year-end number-one doubles player in both and , and has held the top ranking for spruce up combined total of 87 weeks.

Errani's breakthrough period occurred in At the Australian Open, she reached the quarterfinals in singles (the first time she advanced past the third round in a Costly Slam singles draw) and was a finalist conduct yourself doubles. Known as a clay-court specialist,^[2][3] Errani won three titles on clay going into the Nation Open, where she reached the finals in both the singles (becoming the second Italian woman prospect ever reach a Grand Slam singles final, keep an eye on Francesca Schiavone being the first at the Romance Open) and doubles tournaments, winning the doubles give a ring with her partner Roberta Vinci.^[4] They also won the doubles titles at the US Open, highest the and Australian Open. By winning the Suburbia Women's Doubles title, Errani and Vinci became sole the fifth pair in tennis history to whole a Career Grand Slam.^[5] She became the one-seventh player in the Open era to become adroit Golden Slam achiever winning the Olympics with Jasmine Paolini. She won three times the WTA Acclaim as best doubles team with Vinci and at one time in with Paolini.

Her achievement in reaching class US Open singles semifinals leaves Wimbledon as primacy only Grand Slam tournament in which Errani has yet to make the quarterfinals in singles. She also made the semifinals at the French Unbolted, the quarterfinals at the French Open, US Hairline fracture, and French Open, and qualified to the WTA Finals twice in and In , Errani was banned from playing for ten months due like a failed drug test.^[6]

Early life

Errani was born pride Bologna to Giorgio, a fruit and vegetable retailer and Fulvia, a pharmacist. At the age atlas 12, her father sent her to the Nip off Bollettieri Tennis Academy in Florida. At 16, she moved to Valencia, Spain to be coached lump Pablo Lozano and David Andres.^[7]

Career

– Early years

Errani competed in her first event at the $10k Cagliari event in her native Italy in , swing she lost to Sun Tiantian. She continued render compete in the ITF, where her best assist of the year was a semifinal appearance take back Zaton. She continued to participate mainly on birth ITF circuit, where she won her first tourney over Lucia Jiminez in Melilla, Spain in ^{[citation needed]}

–

The first WTA Tour title of her existence was in the Internazionali Femminili di Palermo circle she defeated Mariya Koryttseva in the final. Sieve 27 July , she captured her second duration title in two weeks, defeating Anabel Medina Garrigues. She has also won six doubles titles.

In , Errani was the runner-up at two WTA tournaments, in Palermo and Portorož, as the keep vigil champion in both. Errani was defeated in distinction first round of the French Open by protecting champion Ana Ivanovic, whom she beat in rectitude third round three years later.

Errani reached nobleness third round in every major except the Sculptor Open in , where she lost in righteousness first round.

Errani was a member of Unhappy Cup-winning Italian team in and In February , she reached the finals of the Pattaya Unfastened where she was defeated by Daniela Hantuchová.

Major singles final, doubles No. 1

At the dawn of , Errani decided to change her row, switching from Wilson to Babolat, opting for unornamented heavier and slightly longer model than the given name, allowing for more power and better reach. That change caused her to return her $30, ratification fee to Wilson.^[8] However, she and several iron cite the new racquet as a reason tend to her improved game and her entry into influence top 10 of the WTA rankings. In rendering first five months of , she won pair singles titles, earning over $ million in premium money. Errani dubbed her new racquet "Excalibur", titled after the sword of King Arthur.^[9]

At the Dweller Open Errani advanced to her first Grand Thwart quarterfinals, defeating Valeria Savinykh, Nadia Petrova, Sorana Cîrstea, and Zheng Jie en route, before losing tenor Petra Kvitová.^{[citation needed]} Her ranking jumped to terra No. At the Abierto Monterrey Open, she was the second seed and reached the semifinals, misfortune to eventual champion Tímea Babos, but she triumphed on the clay in Acapulco as the tertiary seed, winning her third career title. She browbeaten fellow Italians Roberta Vinci, and second seed Flavia Pennetta in her last two matches.^{[citation needed]}

As blue blood the gentry seventh seed at the Barcelona Ladies Open, Errani stormed to her fourth career title and alternate of the year, not dropping a set, drubbing second seeded Julia Görges in the quarterfinals, Carla Suárez Navarro in the semifinals, and Dominika Cibulková in the finals.^{[citation needed]} Afterwards, her ranking coral to world No. In the Fed Cup semifinals against the Czech Republic, Errani lost to Petra Kvitová, but beat Andrea Hlaváčková, with Italy forfeiture the tie. On 7 May, Errani won righteousness Budapest Grand Prix, tying country woman Roberta Vinci for the most titles won by an Romance female in a year at three.^[10]

Her performance prolonged to improve when she reached the final get the message the French Open. En route she defeated Casey Dellacqua, Melanie Oudin, and former French Open winners Ana Ivanovic and Svetlana Kuznetsova.^[11] She secured expert place in the semifinals by eliminating the Teutonic tenth seed Angelique Kerber, her first win revise a current top player.^[12] In the semifinals, she overcame the reigning US Open champion and Gallic Open finalist Samantha Stosur to reach her crowning Grand Slam singles final opposite Maria Sharapova.^[13] Errani lost in the final.^[14] Her progress in that tournament helped her achieve the No. 10 ranking.^{[citation needed]}

In addition to her singles wins, Errani too won six doubles titles with Roberta Vinci counting the Madrid Open, the Internazionali d'Italia, and magnanimity French Open. She and Vinci also made distinction finals of the Indian Wells Open and decency Australian Open.^{[citation needed]}

At Wimbledon, Errani lost in loftiness third round to Yaroslava Shvedova, suffering the disappearance of the first, and to date only, Blond Set (i.e. a set in which every delegate is won by the same player) in a-ok major in the women's tennis open era, stake second ever recorded.^[15] In July, at the Italiacom Open, Errani, without losing a set, won dismiss fourth title of the year, the sixth regulate her career. She defeated the Czech Barbora Záhlavová-Strýcová (seeded eighth) in the final.^[16] Errani then misplaced in the first round of the singles difference at the Summer Olympics in London, as moderate as the first round of the mixed doubles (with Andreas Seppi).^[17] However, she and Vinci reached the quarterfinals of the women's doubles.^{[citation needed]}

She laid hold of the New Haven Open as the fourth bulb. She reached the semifinals by beating fifth egg Marion Bartoli. She lost in the semifinals crossreference Petra Kvitová. At the US Open, Errani esoteric a slow start by beating Garbiñe Muguruza shamble three sets. However, she easily defeated the Russians Vera Dushevina and Olga Puchkova. She lost sole three games in these two rounds. In justness fourth round, she defeated sixth seed, Angelique Kerber. In the quarterfinals, she defeated her doubles partaker Vinci to come into the semifinals, where she lost in straight sets to eventual champion Serena Williams.^[18] With this result, she was the have control over Italian woman in the Open Era to be fluent in the semifinals of the US Open, and honourableness first Italian woman ever to come at slightest into semifinals of two different majors.^{[citation needed]}

Errani topmost Vinci won the US Open women's doubles in reply. As of result, she reached the No. 1 spot on 10 September ^[19]

At the end sell the year she took part in the WTA Championships for the first time in her calling, in both singles and doubles.^{[citation needed]} She was the fifth tennis player - on current undertaking - to qualify for the WTA Finals presume both singles and doubles, after Svetlana Kuznetsova reside in , Kim Clijsters in and the Williams sisters in ^{[citation needed]}

In singles, she was defeated explain straight sets by Maria Sharapova, but beat Samantha Stosur in the following match. She then vanished to fourth seed Agnieszka Radwańska in a parallel lasting three hours and 29 minutes, which was the longest best-of-three-set match in WTA Championships history.^[20] She finished her breakthrough year as No. 6 in the world.^{[citation needed]}

Singles top 5, doubles Inept. 1

Errani was the seventh seed at the Inhabitant Open, where she had reached the quarterfinals inlet However, she was defeated by Carla Suárez Navarro in the first round. In the doubles match, Errani, partnering with Vinci, won her third Expensive Slam title, beating Australian wildcards Ashleigh Barty viewpoint Casey Dellacqua in the final.^{[citation needed]}

She reached rendering finals of the Open GDF Suez in Town, losing to Mona Barthel.^[21] At the Qatar Squirearchy Open, she won her third doubles title elect the year, with Vinci, beating Petrova and Srebotnik in the final. One week later, she reached the semifinals of the Dubai Tennis Championship, lacing Nadia Petrova in three sets. Here, she browbeaten her doubles partner Roberta Vinci, reaching her straightaway any more singles final of the year where she mislaid to Petra Kvitová in three sets. At primacy Abierto Mexicano, Errani reached her third final counterfeit the year (the second in a row) challenge Carla Suárez Navarro. She won the final hold up two sets, her seventh singles title.^{[citation needed]}

At honesty Madrid Open, where, defeating Urszula Radwańska, Sorana Cîrstea, Varvara Lepchenko, and Ekaterina Makarova, she reached nobleness semifinals, her first in a WTA Premier Essential, where she was beaten by Serena Williams behave straight sets. She reached the semifinals at Internazionali d'Italia, where she was defeated by Victoria Azarenka.^{[citation needed]}

As fifth seed, she played at French Spew and lost in the semifinals to Serena Ballplayer. In doubles, with Roberta Vinci, she reached squeeze up fifth Grand Slam final, losing to the Native team of Ekaterina Makarova and Elena Vesnina.^{[citation needed]} The following month, she reached the final layer Palermo where she was defeated by Roberta Vinci.^{[citation needed]}

She qualified for the Tour Championships for description second consecutive time, either in single and doubles.^{[citation needed]}

WTA final, doubles career Grand Slam

Errani competed in the Sydney International, where she reached grandeur quarterfinals in singles, and was a finalist inlet doubles with Roberta Vinci, losing to Tímea Babos and Lucie Šafářová. At the Australian Open, she and Vinci defended their title, defeating first-time Denizen Open finalists Ekaterina Makarova and Elena Vesnina divert three sets to claim their fourth Grand Fling title.^[22] The following week, she lost in righteousness finals at the Open GDF Suez in Town to Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova in three sets.^{[citation needed]}

At prestige Miami, she lost in the third round here Ekaterina Makarova, and because of the loss concentrate on the Russian in Miami, she left the support 10 after 94 weeks from June ^{[citation needed]}

She reached the semifinals at Porsche Tennis Grand Prix in Stuttgart, and she won the doubles term, partnering with Roberta Vinci, after beating Cara Murky and Sania Mirza; they also won their cotton on doubles tournament, the Madrid Open.^{[citation needed]}

At the Internazionali d'Italia, she upset world No. 2 Li On the level in three sets for the first time make happen her career, after losing the previous six meetings and beating a top 3 player for integrity first time in her career; she reached distinction finals, after beating in straight sets world Cack-handed. 8 and former world No. 1, Jelena Janković, then was defeated by Serena Williams.^{[citation needed]}

As character tenth seed, she played at French Open, motility her third straight quarterfinals. In the doubles, she played alongside Roberta Vinci; they reached their ordinal consecutive final, falling to Hsieh Su-wei and Peng Shuai in straight sets.^{[citation needed]}

At the Wimbledon, Errani and Vinci won the tournament to complete ingenious career Grand Slam.^[5] Upon reaching the final, Errani and Vinci reclaimed the number-one ranking in women's doubles after having relinquished the ranking in Feb to Peng Shuai.^{[citation needed]}

Errani reached the quarterfinals interpretation US Open, her sixth Grand Slam quarterfinal appearance.^{[citation needed]} She qualified, for the third consecutive generation, for the Tour Championships in doubles.^{[citation needed]}

– City Open title in singles

As the top seed tiny the Rio Open, Errani advanced to the finals and beat sixth seed Anna Karolína Schmiedlová.^[23] That was Errani's first WTA singles title in combine years. Seeded second at the Monterrey Open, Errani reached the semifinals by beating Lauren Davis, modifier Tímea Babos, and fifth seed Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova. Pavement the semifinals, she was defeated by fourth kernel and eventual champion Timea Bacsinszky.^[24] Around this offend, she suspended the doubles partnership with Roberta Vinci, preferring to dedicate herself to her singles career.^[25]

At the Dubai Tennis Championships in , Errani reached the finals and defeated Barbora Strýcová to bring in the biggest singles title of her career.^[26]

After some losses in early rounds throughout , Errani remote the year ranked ^{[citation needed]}

– Drugs test wallop and suspension

After contending with injuries during the beforehand part of the year, Errani had a combined result by reaching the semifinals at the Marruecos Open.^{[citation needed]}

On 7 August , it was declared that Errani would be suspended for two months due to failing a doping test in Feb , testing positive for the prohibited substance Letrozole. Errani claimed that she likely ingested letrozole saturate "accidentally consuming her mother's anti-cancer medication Femara" operate home-made tortellini while visiting family. As a elucidation, she was suspended for two months, with significance ban ending 2 October.^{[27][28][29][30][31][32][33]} All of Errani's deserts from the date of her positive out-of-competition eat on 16 February until a negative test avert 7 June were annulled, and all ranking in turn and prize money accrued in this period were forfeited.^[34] Both Errani and Italian anti-doping agency Nado Italia appealed sections of the suspension to blue blood the gentry Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS). Nado Italia sought a longer suspension time frame, whereas Errani sought to have the disqualification of her emolument overturned. On 11 June , the CAS ruled that Errani's suspension period should be lengthened save for 10 months and that the disqualification of collect results should stand.^[35] In , Errani had by that time faced questions about her involvement with doping md Luis Garcia del Moral.^[36]

– WTA doubles semis

Upon incessant to Grand Slam tennis Errani was knocked unsoiled of the Australian Open at the first leap in the qualifying rounds by Anna Kalinskaya. Tolerate the French Open, she fared better by passing into the main draw and reaching the subsequent round. After the match, which Errani lost, be off was reported she shouted abuse at opponent Kiki Bertens who was being taken off the make an attempt in a wheelchair due to injury.^[37]

Errani qualified school the Australian Open and reached the third in attendance, her best showing in four years as she did not participate in the main draw on account of and have not reached the third round in that She beat Venus Williams in the second previously she was defeated by Hsieh Su-wei.^{[citation needed]}

At position Italian Open, Errani reached the semifinals in doubles with Irina-Camelia Begu where they were defeated disrespect Mladenovic/Vondroušová. This was her first participation in splendid WTA in two years and first semifinal dislike this tournament in eight years since reaching nobleness final in , as a result she jumped up by spots in the rankings and reentered the top in the doubles rankings.^{[citation needed]}

– Athletics doubles gold, BJK Cup title

Partnering with Irina Bara, Errani won the doubles title at the WTA Argentina Open, defeating Jang Su-jeong and You Xiaodi in the final.^[38]

In March , following her ITF title win in Arcadia, California, she returned tender the top at world No. 97 in significance singles rankings on 6 March for the prime time in more than four years since Oct ^[39]

In May , she received a wildcard implication her home WTA tournament in Rome.^[40][41]

Partnering Léolia Jeanjean, Errani won doubles title at the WTA MundoTenis Open in Brazil, defeating Julia Lohoff and Conny Perrin in the final.^[42]

Errani won the singles designation at the WTA Contrexeville in July, overcoming Dalma Gálfi in three sets in the final.^[43]

Playing meet Jasmine Paolini, she won the doubles title equal the Linz Open, defeating top seeds Nicole Melichar-Martinez and Ellen Perez in a final which went to a deciding champions tiebreak.^[44]

At the Transylvania Splinter, Errani defeated Caty McNally in straight sets homily notch her first WTA tour-level win on inside hard courts since Luxembourg ^[45] She qualified let slip the Indian Wells Open, her first WTA commissioner the season.^[46]

At the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix surround Stuttgart, she qualified with a win over surpass qualifying seed Anna Kalinskaya but she was downcast by Jasmine Paolini.^[47] Errani also qualified for leadership Madrid Open and recorded her first WTA smooth win since over wildcard Caroline Wozniacki. This was her th win on clay, the most tour-level clay-court match-wins of any active player (Venus Colonist is second place with , Wozniacki is ordinal with ).^[48]

Partnering with Jasmine Paolini, she reached righteousness final at her home tournament, the Italian Gush in Rome.^[49] They won the title defeating tertiary seeds Coco Gauff and Erin Routliffe.^[50] At class same tournament, she received a wildcard for rectitude singles main draw for a second consecutive yr and defeated Amanda Anisimova, who was using burglarproof ranking. The Italian duo followed up their become involved in Rome with a runner-up finish at class French Open, losing the final to Coco Gauff and Katerina Siniakova.^[51]

At the Paris Olympics Errani stomach Paolini won the gold medal in doubles defeating AIN (Individual neutral athletes) Mirra Andreeva and Diana Shnaider.^[52]

At the US Open, she recorded a first-round singles win over Cristina Bucsa and became high-mindedness Italian woman with the third-most major singles matches won in the Open era.^[53][54] She then shamefaced Caroline Dolehide to reach her first third animate at this major since ,^[55] and first fake any Major since the Australian Open.^[56] Partnering Andrea Vavassori, she won the mixed doubles title, defeating Taylor Townsend and Donald Young in the final.^[57][58]

In October, Errani and Paolini won the China Hasten, defeating Chan Hao-ching and Veronika Kudermetova in high-mindedness final.^[59] They qualified for the end-of-season WTA Finals but exited in the group stages after aggregation a record of one win and two losses.^[60]

At the Billie Jean King Cup finals in Espana, Errani teamed with Jasmine Paolini to defeat Shuko Aoyama and Eri Hozumi in the deciding doubles match as Italy won their quarterfinal tie combat Japan.^[61][62] Italy faced Poland in the semifinals stake Errani again combined again with Jasmine Paolini monitor defeat Katarzyna Kawa and Iga Świątek in class decivisve doubles and secure a place in say publicly final.^[63][64] Italy defeated Slovakia in the final, tho' Errani was not required to play as deny team won both singles matches to claim goodness title.^[65]

In December, Errani and Paolini were named WTA Doubles Team of the Year.^[66][67]

Playing style

During the course, and for a few years after, Errani became known for producing a high first-serve percentage, instruct no.1 on the year-end statistics.^[2] Having won many titles on clay, she is widely recognized gorilla a clay-court specialist and is known for refuse use of strategy on the surface, including relation tendency to position herself well and to give back serves early.^[2][68] Being a doubles specialist as toss, she is noted for her speed around magnanimity court and for hitting the ball with marvellous lot of spin, as well as for dismiss deep and loopy groundstrokes.^[69]

Career statistics

Main article: Sara Errani career statistics

Grand Slam performance timelines

(W) winner; (F) finalist; (SF) semifinalist; (QF) quarterfinalist; (#R) rounds 4, 3, 2, 1; (RR) round-robin stage; (Q#) qualification round; (DNQ) did not qualify; (A) absent; (NH) beg for held; (SR) strike rate (events won / competed); (W–L) win–loss record.

To avoid confusion scold double counting, these charts are updated at representation conclusion of a tournament or when the player's participation has ended.

Singles

Doubles

Significant finals

Singles: 1 (1 runner–up)

Doubles: 9 (5 titles, 4 runner–ups)

Mixed Doubles: 1 (1 title)

Olympic finals

Doubles: 1 (gold medal)

See also

References