Sara Errani and Roberta Vinci: Italian duo that won 25 titles including a Career Grand Slam

The Italian alliance of Sara Errani and Roberta Vinci combined to win a quintet of majors, accomplishing a Career Grand Slam at Wimbledon. Errani, playing with Jasmine Paolini, would eventually upgrade the feat to a Golden Career Grand Slam.

Errani was born on April 29th, 1987 in Bologna, the capital of Italy's Emilia Romagna region. Vinci, who is now retired, is now 43 after being born on February 18th, 1983, in the coastal city of Taranto.

Vinci turned professional in 1999 and Errani followed suit three years later. Their combination as doubles players began at the commencement of the 2010s. They were beaten in their maiden final at the 2010 Mexican Open.

After their loss in Mexico, Errani and Vinci would atone and hoover up a brace of titles in the 2010 campaign. Their first came at the Andalucia Experience and was quickly backed up by a trophy lift at the Barcelona Open.

The 2011 season witnessed the Italian pair triumph on three occasions, at events in Hobart, Pattaya and on home turf in Palermo where Vinci now resides.

It was the campaign of 2012 where Errani and Vinci elevated themselves to the status of being the leading pair in women's doubles. A total of eight titles were accumulated, including a brace of major titles.

A double success in Mexico gave their year early impetus. They warmed up for the French Open, by claiming titles in Barcelona, Madrid and Rome. The latter two their first triumphs at 1000 level. It cemented their status as favourites at Roland Garros.

Their progression into a first major final was secured after a comfortable straight sets victory over Spanish duo Nuria Llagostera Vives and Maria Jose Martinez Sanchez. In the final, they fought back from a set down to defeat Russian pairing Maria Kirilenko and Nadia Petrova. Grand Slam glory for the first time topped off a dominant clay court season.

The Grand Slam success soon continued as the Italians conquered New York to win the US Open, defeating Andrea Hlavackova and Lucie Hradecka 6-4, 6-2.

The 2013 season began with glory in Melbourne. A victory over the Williams' sister in the quarters was particularly hard-fought, prevailing 7-5 in the decider. They cruised past Russians Elena Vesnina and Ekaterina Makarova in the last four. Home opposition in the shape of a teenage Ash Barry and Casey Dellacqua awaited them in the final. They emerged from a three-set tussle with their third different Grand Slam glory.

Two other titles were lifted in the early part of the season, but nothing for the campaign’s remainder. While, in June, Makarova and Vesnina avenged their Melbourne loss by defeating them in the title match at Roland Garros.

2014 kicked off in fine style, via a successful defence of their Australian Open title. Makarova and Vesnina edged out in a three-set final.

They were champions in Stuttgart and Madrid during the clay season. The French Open saw them lose in the final to Asian double act Hsieh Su-Wei and Peng Shuai.

Errani and Vinci would go one better at Wimbledon as they achieved tennis immortality by joining the exclusive club of Career Grand Slammers. A straight sets victory over Kristina Mladenovic, of France, and Timea Babos, from Hungary, meant they became the fifth pair in women's doubles to clinch a Career Grand Slam.

Their success continued in the late summer when they emerged as champions at the Canadian Open.

A victory in the 2015 Auckland Classic would prove to be their last in tandem. Errani would decide to give sole focus to her singles career at this stage. Vinci played in both disciplines before retiring in 2018.

Errani and Vinci were both Grand Slam singles finalists with surprise runs to major finals.

At the 2012 French Open, Errani progressed to the Roland Garros showpiece. Maria Sharapova demolished her in straight sets. The run came in a year where she won a quartet of titles on clay.

Errani amassed nine singles titles from nineteen finals. Her first title, in 2008, was at home in Palermo, followed swiftly by a trophy lift in Slovenia. She went on to claim the 2013 Mexico Open and 2015 Rio Open after the 2012 quad. Her last title proved to be the most prestigious. A 6-0, 6-2 victory over Barbora Strycova in the Premier Rated Dubai Championships underlined her capacity to win events with stacked fields of top players.

Vinci's singles career was illuminated by a memorable run to the 2015 US Open final. Her semi-final victory over Serena Williams ranks as a great tennis upset. The American had won the last four majors and was attempting to complete a Calendar Year Grand Slam. Vinci used her craft and guile to unsettle the GOAT, who struggled with the occasion, and advanced to an all-Italian final with close friend Flavia Pennetta.

The title match was between players with pre-tournament odds of 300-1 (Pennetta) and 1000-1 (Vinci). In a match-up that ranks as one of the most surprising in major final history, Pennetta triumphed in straight sets. Vinci also lost in an additional three US Open quarter-finals.

Vinci secured 10 singles titles from 15 finals, most of these were in lower-tier WTA competitions. The first came at the 2007 Copa Colsanitas in Colombia.

The Barcelona Open, on clay, was twice pocketed by Vinci. The second triumph came in the 2011 season where she also lifted the Rosmalen Championships on grass and the Budapest Grand Prix. Like Errani, her last singles title was her biggest - the St Petersburg Trophy in Russia.

In August 2017, Errani received a ban for a positive drugs test. She received a two month ban despite her pleas that she probably ingested it through anti-cancer medication Femara in her mother's home made tortellini. Her results were annulled from the period February 16th, the date of her positive test and when she then tested negative on June 7th.

Errani later appealed this verdict but Nado Italia, an anti-doping agency, also challenged the ban and wanted Errani to serve longer. Errani lost the appeal and her suspension was lengthened to ten months and the results that had been annulled remained so.

After a few years of not playing regular doubles, Errani embarked on a new relationship with Jasmine Paolini. She is part of Paolini’s coaching setup in combination with their doubles activity.

They've managed to win the 2025 French Open together, giving Errani a sixth women's doubles major. They'd been beaten in the Roland Garros final a year earlier.

Arguably, an even greater moment occurred on the same court ten months earlier. Representing Team Italy, at the 2024 Olympics in Paris, they accrued Gold after besting Russian pair Mirra Andreeva and Diana Snaider in the final.

Their partnership has also produced five Masters 1000 victories including a brace of Italian Opens.

In the twilight of her career, Errani has been a keen exponent of the mixed doubles discipline. Playing with fellow Italian Andrea Vavassori, they've chalked up a quartet of Grand Slam titles.

One of these was at the 2025 US Open. This edition featured a number of doubles pairings invited on the basis of their singles profile at the expense of many doubles specialists. Errani and Vavassori were among the most vocal of their opposition to such a move.

They were allowed to defend their title and inspired to record a blow for doubles regulars, went and beat Iga Swiatek and Casper Ruud in the final.

The Italian Billie Jean King Cup (formerly Fed Cup) team has been hugely successful in the 21st century. All of their wins have come since their maiden success in 2006.

Vinci played a part in the 2006 triumph by featuring in the decisive doubles rubber with Francesca Schiavone. Their Belgian opponents having to retire hurt in the deciding set. The 2009 victory featured both and so did their defence in 2010.

The 2013 victory centered around the pair on both singles and doubles. Facing Russia in Cagliari, Errani and Vinci won their singles rubbers before confirming victory in the doubles rubber on day two.

Errani has featured in Italy's back-to-back triumphs of 2024 and 2025, playing doubles with Paolini. Errani wasn't required in either final as Italy won without requiring a doubles decider.

To be one of a select band of Career Grand Slammers firmly places Errani and Vinci in the upper pantheon of great women's doubles teams. They quickly completed the set and were at the heart of a great deal of Italy's Fed Cup success.

Errani is just one of seven women to complete a Career Golden Grand Slam in women's doubles. She also won ten majors in all and her span of success, now stretching back nearly two decades, positions her as one of the very greatest doubles players in tennis history.