Lea Pericoli (22 March 1935 – 4 October 2024) was an Italian tennis player and later television presenter and journalist from Milan.[1] She reached the last sixteen of the French Open twice and the Wimbledon Championships three times, and is also famous for her choice of clothing.[2][3]
Tennis
Grand Slam
Pericoli reached the last sixteen of the French Championships singles in 1960 and 1964. She reached the fourth round of Wimbledon three times in 1965, 1967, and 1970.
Pericoli made her Fed Cup debut for Italy in its inaugural year, 1963, and represented Italy in nine years of the competition, winning 8 of her 16 singles matches and 7 of her 14 doubles matches.[4] Her last Fed Cup match was in 1975.
In 1955, Pericoli played at the Wimbledon Championships wearing clothes designed by Ted Tinling.[5] Her clothing generated so much interest in later years, that it was kept secret until her appearances on the court. In particular, her fur-lined clothing worn at the 1964 Wimbledon Championships caught the attention of observers.[2]
In 2001, the Sunday Mirror quoted Pericoli as saying "I became famous because of my clothes, not my playing." and "I didn't make any money from tennis, but if I'd been born 30 years later I would have become terribly rich like Anna Kournikova".[6]
Other activities
Pericoli had a contract with Superga for modelling shoes.[7]
Pericoli was popular on Italian television in the 1970s,[8] presenting the programs Paroliamo and Caccia al Tesoro in addition to commentating tennis.
Pericoli was introduced to journalism by Indro Montanelli.[7] She worked as a tennis and fashion journalist.[9] She was a journalist for Il Giornale.[10]
Pericoli wrote the autobiographical book Maldafrica, published in Italian in 2009.[11]ISBN978-88-317-9889-1
Personal life and death
She married Tito Fontana in 1964.[4] Pericoli died on 4 October 2024, at the age of 89.[12]
Awards
On 7 May 2015, in the presence of the President of Italian National Olympic Committee (CONI), Giovanni Malagò, was inaugurated in the Olympic Park of the Foro Italico in Rome, along Viale delle Olimpiadi, the Walk of Fame of Italian sport, consisting of 100 tiles that chronologically report names of the most representative athletes in the history of Italian sport. On each tile is the honoree's name and sport and the symbol of CONI. One of these tiles is dedicated to Lea Pericoli.[13]
Pericoli was awarded the Fed Cup Award of Excellence in 2007.[4][14]
Grand Slam singles performance timeline
Key
W
F
SF
QF
#R
RR
Q#
DNQ
A
NH
(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) not held; (SR) strike rate (events won / competed); (W–L) win–loss record.
^"Tinling's Tutus For Tennis". SI.com. Turner – SI Digital, part of the Turner Sports & Entertainment Digital Network. 11 July 1955. Archived from the original on 3 December 2012. Retrieved 15 October 2010.
^Lessona, Logan Bentley (10 October 1997). "And Now......Here's Gianni!". Fashion & Design Newsletter. Made*In*Italy*On*Line. Archived from the original on 26 November 2010. Retrieved 15 October 2010.
