Personal information
Currently without a coach; lives and trains in Rome. Started playing at age 9. Favorite shot is volley. Parents played recreational tennis; brother,   Matteo, used to play.

Hobbies include playing beach volleyball in Rome, listening to music, sightseeing. Admires grandmother and Martina Navratilova.
 
Career highlights
1996 - Played first event of career in doubles at ITF/Nicolosi-ITA.

1997 - Continued to play on ITF Circuit.

1998 - Won one doubles title on ITF Circuit.

1999 - Won three doubles titles on ITF Circuit.

2000 - Won two singles titles and five doubles titles on ITF Circuit.

2001 - Continued to play on ITF Circuit.

2002 - Won one singles title on ITF Circuit.

2003 - Played first Tour main draws at Casablanca and US Open, falling 1r at both; fell in Tour qualifying 11 times (incl. other three majors); won one singles title and two doubles titles on ITF Circuit.

2004 - First Top 100 season; reached 4r once (Australian Open; as qualifier, l. to top seed Henin); made Top 100 debut afterwards on February 2 (rose from No.129 to No.88); reached 2r five times; fell 1r eight times (incl. other three majors; played all four majors in a season for first time) and in Tour qualifying six times; won first Tour doubles title.

2005 - Second Top 100 season; reached 2r five times (incl. Wimbledon); fell 1r seven times (incl. other three majors) and in Tour qualifying once; won two singles titles and two doubles titles on ITF Circuit.

2006 - First Top 50 season (finishing at No.31); won first Tour singles title at Bangalore (d. Kostanic Tosic in final); made Top 50 debut afterwards on February 20 (rose from No.59 to No.37); SF at Hobart (l. to Benesova); QF three times, at Istanbul, Birmingham and New Haven (d. No.12 Myskina en route for first Top 20 win); reached 3r three times (incl. Australian Open, US Open) and 2r nine times (incl. Roland Garros); fell 1r nine times (incl. Wimbledon) and in Tour qualifying once; member of Fed Cup-winning Italian team.

2007 - Second Top 50 season (finishing at No.36); runner-up at Bangalore (l. to Shvedova in final); SF at Birmingham (l. to Jankovic); QF twice, at Pattaya City and Warsaw; reached 4r once, 3r three times (incl. Roland Garros, Wimbledon) and 2r eight times; fell 1r five times (incl. other two majors); had three Top 20 wins, at Miami (No.9 Jankovic - first Top 10 win), Warsaw (No.9 Petrova - second Top 10 win) and Birmingham (No.18 Li); won five Tour doubles titles, most notably first Grand Slam title at Roland Garros (w/Molik); made doubles Top 10 debut afterwards on June 11 (rose from No.21 to No.8) and Top 5 debut on September 10 (after US Open; rose from No.6 to No.5); withdrew from several events during second half of season w/left foot injury (incl. all events from mid-September on).

2008 - Made return from eight-month left foot injury lay-off in May; reached 2r twice (incl. Wimbledon); fell 1r eight times (incl. Roland Garros, Olympics) and in Tour qualifying once; won two singles titles and one doubles title on ITF Circuit.