ROME — Former French Open finalist Sara Errani is set to switch her focus from tennis to padel following the conclusion of the Roland-Garros tournament. Errani, who has carved out an admirable career in tennis, was given a wild card opportunity to compete in the Premier Padel’s Italy Major, scheduled to take place next week at the Foro Italico.
At 38 years old, Errani will be partnering with a rising talent, 20-year-old Giulia Dal Pozzo, in this event. Her decision comes after a successful run in Paris, where she progressed to the semifinals in both the women’s doubles — alongside Jasmine Paolini — and mixed doubles, teaming up with Andrea Vavassori. Notably, Errani and Paolini clinched the gold medal in doubles at the Paris Olympics and are two-time consecutive champions of the Italian Open, which shares the venue of Foro Italico.
Errani has expressed her ambition to transition fully into padel as her primary sporting pursuit once she steps away from tennis. Following her exit in the French Open qualifiers, she announced that she had played her last singles match. Nonetheless, Errani intends to continue competing in doubles, especially dedicated to her partnership with Paolini.
Renowned for reaching the 2012 French Open singles final where she faced Maria Sharapova, Errani’s contribution to tennis has been significant. Her venture into padel isn’t new, having participated in professional padel tournaments earlier this year in Melbourne, Australia, and Dubai.