First Italian woman to win a Grand Slam
![]() |
Francesca Schiavone |
When she won her title at Roland Garros in 2010 she became the first Italian woman to win a Grand Slam event in singles. She was the runner-up in the French Open final the following year.
To date she is also the last one-handed backhand player to win a Grand Slam title on the women’s tour.
Schiavone won eight titles on the WTA tour and has also been the runner up in events 11 times.
Her highest career ranking is World Number Four, which she achieved in January 2011.
She has helped Italy win the Federation Cup in 2006, 2009 and 2010 and she has had the most wins for the Italian team.
She also appeared in the women’s doubles final at the 2008 French Open.
At the 2016 French Open in May it was mistakenly announced that Schiavone was retiring from tennis after she was defeated in the first round of the competition.
She denied it at the press conference after her match, saying: “I will announce when I want to stop.”
Schiavone did eventually retire two years later, following the US Open in 2018. The following year, she revealed she had been diagnosed with cancer but underwent successful chemotherapy treatment and was free of the disease.
This article was updated in June, 2025.
Travel tip:
Milan, where Schiavone was born and still lives, is the main city of Lombardy in the north of Italy, famous for its magnificent Duomo (Cathedral), Il Cenacolo, the famous wall painting by Leonardo da Vinci of Christ’s Last Supper, and the 15th century Sforza Castle.
Travel tip:
Milan is also the main industrial, commercial and financial centre of Italy. The business district is home to the Borsa Italiana (stock exchange) and the headquarters of the main national banks. The Borsa is located in Palazzo Mezzanotte in Piazza Affari (Business Square).
Is Sara Errani Italy's best tennis player of all time?
Home
![]() |
Milan's magnificent Duomo |
Milan, where Schiavone was born and still lives, is the main city of Lombardy in the north of Italy, famous for its magnificent Duomo (Cathedral), Il Cenacolo, the famous wall painting by Leonardo da Vinci of Christ’s Last Supper, and the 15th century Sforza Castle.
Travel tip:
Milan is also the main industrial, commercial and financial centre of Italy. The business district is home to the Borsa Italiana (stock exchange) and the headquarters of the main national banks. The Borsa is located in Palazzo Mezzanotte in Piazza Affari (Business Square).
More reading:
Is Sara Errani Italy's best tennis player of all time?
Home
No comments:
Post a Comment