{{short description|Italian tennis player}} {{Infobox tennis biography |name = Francesca Pace |image = |caption = |country = {{ITA}} |residence = Rome, Italy |birth_date = {{birth date and age|df=yes|2005|8|05}}<ref>{{Cite web|website=Eurosport|accessdate=May 30, 2023|url=https://www.eurosport.com/tennis/francesca-pace_prs640314/person.shtml|title=Francesca Pace}}</ref> |birth_place = |height = |turnedpro = |plays = Right-handed |college = |coach = Massimiliano Pace |careerprizemoney = $44,236 |singlesrecord = {{tennis record|won=80|lost=65}} |singlestitles = 3 ITF |highestsinglesranking = No. 330 (5 January 2026) |currentsinglesranking = No. 352 (18 May 2026) |AustralianOpenjuniorresult = 1R (2023) |FrenchOpenresult = |FrenchOpenjuniorresult = 2R (2023) |Wimbledonresult = |Wimbledonjuniorresult = 3R (2023) |USOpenresult = |USOpenjuniorresult = 1R (2023) |doublesrecord = {{tennis record|won=64|lost=40}} |doublestitles = 5 ITF |highestdoublesranking = No. 287 (19 January 2026) |currentdoublesranking = No. 302 (18 May 2026) |AustralianOpenDoublesresult = |FrenchOpenDoublesresult = |WimbledonDoublesresult = |USOpenDoublesresult = |AustralianOpenDoublesjuniorresult = 2R (2023) |FrenchOpenDoublesjuniorresult = 2R (2023) |WimbledonDoublesjuniorresult = 1R (2023) |USOpenDoublesjuniorresult = 1R (2023) |updated = 21 May 2026 }} '''Francesca Pace''' (born 5 August 2005) is an Italian tennis player.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.itftennis.com/en/players/francesca-pace/800592736/ita/jt/S/overview/|website=ITF|accessdate=May 30, 2023|title=Francesca Pace}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.wtatennis.com/players/331531/francesca-pace|website=WTA|accessdate=May 30, 2023|title=Francesca Pace}}</ref> She made her debut at a WTA 250 tournament when she played in the women's doubles at the 2022 Emilia-Romagna Open.
==Early and personal life== The daughter of former tennis professional Irina Spîrlea, Pace was brought up in Rome.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.fitp.it/Siti-regionali/Lazio/News/News/Sensi-Petrillo-tennis-giovanile-Lazio|website=fitp.it|title= From Sensi to Petrillo, the Lazio women trying to make their way|first=Lorenzo|last=Ercoli | date= January 31, 2021|accessdate=May 30, 2023}}</ref> She has been coached from an early age by her father Massimiliano Pace. He also acted as coach for her mother during her tennis career. She has a brother named Tommaso.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.prosport.ro/alte-sporturi/tenis/sparlea-sfarleaza-gospodina-2581018|date=April 23, 2008|title= She was washing, the housewife was washing|first=Valentine |last=Wolf|website=Prosport.ro|accessdate=May 30, 2023}}</ref>
==Career== ===2021=== In May 2021, Pace won an ITF junior tournament in Limassol.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.wowbiz.ro/dupa-bianca-andreescu-si-emma-raducanu-inca-o-tanara-cu-radacini-romanesti-joaca-pentru-o-alta-tara-francesca-pace-este-fiica-unei-tenismene-celebre-care-a-facut-instructie-cu-surorile-williams-exclusiv-20169228/amp|accessdate=May 30, 2023|title= After Bianca Andreescu and Emma Răducanu, another young woman with Romanian roots plays for another country! Francesca Pace is the daughter of a famous tennis player who trained with the Williams sisters! EXCLUSIVE|website=wowbiz.ro}}</ref> That year, she also claimed her first victories in women’s tennis, winning her debut match in a 15k event in Cairo, 6–1, 6–1 against Wan Chao-yi.<ref>{{cite web|title=Francesca Pace: "The first victories as a professional and the debut in A2, unexpected joys"|accessdate=May 30, 2023|url=https://www.fitp.it/Federazione/News/Attivita-regionali/Intervista-Francesca-Pace| first=Lorenzo|last=Ercoli | date= December 2, 2021| website=fitp.it}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.fitp.it/Federazione/News/Attivita-internazionale/ITF-femminili-24-novembre|website=fitip.it|accessdate=May 30, 2023|date=November 21, 2021|title= Peace, the first of the "pros" is a scream|first=Stefano|last=Izzo}}</ref>
===2022=== Pace played in September the women's doubles at the 2022 Emilia-Romagna Open, a WTA 250 tournament in Parma. She played with Federica Urgesi, and they lost in the first round to compatriots Martina Trevisan and Jasmine Paolini.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.gazzettadiparma.it/sport-parma/2022/09/25/video/tennis-parma-ladies-open-si-entra-nel-vivo-e-domani-entrano-in-scena-le-big-sakkari-trevisan-e-paolini-669037/|website=Gazzettadiparma.it|accessdate=May 30, 2023|date=25 September 2022|title= Tennis Parma Ladies Open, let's get going. And tomorrow the big names Sakkari, Trevisan and Paolini will take the stage|first=Vittorio|last= Rollo}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.eurosport.it/tennis/wta-parma-doppio/2022/live-martina-trevisan-jasmine-paolini-federica-urgesi-francesca-pace_mtc1400597/live.shtml|website=Eurosport|accessdate=May 30, 2023|title= MARTINA TREVISAN / JASMINE PAOLINI - FEDERICA URGESI / FRANCESCA PACE SUMMARY OF THE MATCH|date=September 26, 2022}}</ref>
===2023=== Pace came through qualifying to play in the girls’ singles competition at the 2023 Australian Open.<ref>{{cite web|date=21 January 2023|url=https://www.ubitennis.com/blog/2023/01/21/australian-open-iniziano-i-tornei-juniores-ecco-tutti-gli-italiani-protagonisti/|website=ubitennis|accessdate=May 30, 2023|title= Australian Open, the junior tournaments begin: here are all the Italian protagonists|first=Giulio|last=Vitali}}</ref>
==ITF Circuit finals== ===Singles: 4 (3 titles, 1 runner-up)=== {| |- valign=top | {| class="wikitable" style=font-size:85% ! Legend |- style="background:lightblue;" | W35 tournaments (2–0) |- style="background:#f0f8ff;" | W15 tournaments (0–1) |} | {|class="wikitable" style=font-size:85%; !Finals by surface |- |Hard (2–0) |- |Clay (1–1) |} |} {|class="sortable wikitable" |- !Result !class="unsortable" | W–L !Date !Tournament !Tier !Surface !Opponent !class=unsortable | Score |- | style="background:#ffa07a;"|Loss | <small>0–1</small> | May 2025 | style="background:#f0f8ff;"|ITF Orlando, United States | style="background:#f0f8ff;"|W15 | Clay | {{flagicon|JPN}} Mayu Crossley | 1–6, 6–2, 4–6 |- | style="background:#98fb98;"|Win | <small>1–1</small> | Oct 2025 | style="background:lightblue;"|ITF Redding, United States | style="background:lightblue;"|W35 | Hard | {{flagicon|USA}} Lea Ma | 1–6, 6–2, 6–4 |- | style="background:#98fb98;"|Win | <small>2–1</small> | Oct 2025 | style="background:lightblue;"|ITF Norman, United States | style="background:lightblue;"|W35 | Hard | {{flagicon|}} Ekaterina Khayrutdinova | 6–3, 7–6<sup>(5)</sup> |- | style="background:#98fb98;"|Win | <small>3–1</small> | Nov 2025 | style="background:lightblue;"|ITF Boca Raton, United States | style="background:lightblue;"|W35 | Clay | {{flagicon|USA}} Akasha Urhobo | 4–6, 6–4, 6–4 |- |}
===Doubles: 13 (5 titles, 8 runner-ups)=== {| |- valign=top | {|class="wikitable" style=font-size:85% !Legend |- style="background:lightblue;" |W35 tournaments (3–5) |- style="background:#f0f8ff;" |W15 tournaments (2–3) |} | {|class="wikitable" style=font-size:85%; !Finals by surface |- |Hard (1–2) |- |Clay (4–6) |} |} {|class="wikitable sortable" !Result !class=unsortable|W–L !Date !Tournament !Tier !Surface !Partner !Opponents !class=unsortable|Score |- | style="background:#98fb98;"|Win | <small>1–0</small> | Nov 2023 | style="background:#f0f8ff;"|ITF Antalya, Turkey | style="background:#f0f8ff;"|W15 | Clay | {{flagicon|MAR}} Aya El Aouni | {{flagicon|JAP}} Mayuka Aikawa <br /> {{flagicon|JAP}} Haine Ogata | 6–0, 6–4 |- | style="background:#ffa07a;"|Loss | <small>1–1</small> | May 2024 | style="background:#f0f8ff;"|ITF Antalya, Turkey | style="background:#f0f8ff;"|W15 | Clay | {{Flagicon|MAR}} Aya El Aouni | {{Flagicon|BUL}} Dia Evtimova <br /> {{Flagicon|ITA}} Verena Meliss | 4–6, 6–7<sup>(2)</sup> |- | style="background:#98fb98;"|Win | <small>2–1</small> | Jun 2024 | style="background:#f0f8ff;"|ITF Madrid, Spain | style="background:#f0f8ff;"|W15 | Clay | {{Flagicon|COL}} María Herazo González | {{Flagicon|ITA}} Diletta Cherubini <br /> {{Flagicon|GER}} Carolina Kuhl | 6–3, 7–5 |- | style="background:#ffa07a;"|Loss | <small>2–2</small> | Jul 2024 | style="background:#f0f8ff;"|ITF Viserba, Italy | style="background:#f0f8ff;"|W15 | Clay | {{flagicon|ALG}} Inès Ibbou | {{flagicon|ITA}} Anastasia Bertacchi <br /> {{flagicon|AUT}} Lilli Tagger | 0–6, 6–2, [5–10] |- | style="background:#ffa07a;"|Loss | <small>2–3</small> | Oct 2024 | style="background:#f0f8ff;"|ITF Bol, Croatia | style="background:#f0f8ff;"|W15 | Clay | {{flagicon|GER}} Laura Boehner | {{flagicon|SVK}} Laura Svatíková <br /> {{flagicon|ROM}} Arina Gabriela Vasilescu | 0–6, 6–7<sup>(3)</sup> |- | style="background:#ffa07a;"|Loss | <small>2–4</small> | May 2025 | style="background:lightblue;"|ITF Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic | style="background:lightblue;"|W35 | Clay | {{flagicon|POL}} Zuzanna Pawlikowska | {{flagicon|ITA}} Miriana Tona <br /> {{flagicon|BOL}} Noelia Zeballos | 0–6, 3–6 |- | style="background:#ffa07a;"|Loss | <small>2–5</small> | May 2025 | style="background:lightblue;"|ITF Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic | style="background:lightblue;"|W35 | Clay | {{flagicon|POL}} Zuzanna Pawlikowska | {{flagicon|ITA}} Miriana Tona <br /> {{flagicon|BOL}} Noelia Zeballos | 4–6, 3–6 |- | style="background:#ffa07a;"|Loss | <small>2–6</small> | Jun 2025 | style="background:lightblue;"|Roma Cup, Italy | style="background:lightblue;"|W35 | Clay | {{flagicon|ITA}} Sofia Rocchetti | {{flagicon|ITA}} Noemi Basiletti <br /> {{flagicon|ITA}} Giorgia Pedone | 3–6, 1–6 |- | style="background:#ffa07a;"|Loss | <small>2–7</small> | Sep 2025 | style="background:lightblue;"|Berkley Challenge, United States | style="background:lightblue;"|W35 | Hard | {{flagicon|POL}} Zuzanna Pawlikowska | {{flagicon|USA}} Rasheeda McAdoo <br /> {{flagicon|KEN}} Angella Okutoyi | 6–7<sup>(2)</sup>, 4–6 |- | style="background:#98fb98;"|Win | <small>3–7</small> | Sep 2025 | style="background:lightblue;"|ITF San Rafael, United States | style="background:lightblue;"|W35 | Hard | {{flagicon|POL}} Zuzanna Pawlikowska | {{flagicon|SLO}} Živa Falkner <br /> {{flagicon|LUX}} Marie Weckerle | 4–6, 6–3, [10–5] |- | style="background:#ffa07a;"|Loss | <small>3–8</small> | Oct 2025 | style="background:lightblue;"|ITF Bakersfield, United States | style="background:lightblue;"|W35 | Hard | {{flagicon|POL}} Zuzanna Pawlikowska | {{flagicon|BIH}} Ema Burgić <br /> {{flagicon|UKR}} Anita Sahdiieva | 7–5, 1–6, [7–10] |- | style="background:#98fb98;"|Win | <small>4–8</small> | Nov 2025 | style="background:lightblue;"|ITF Orlando, United States | style="background:lightblue;"|W35 | Clay | {{flagicon|KEN}} Angella Okutoyi | {{flagicon|USA}} Allura Zamarripa <br /> {{flagicon|USA}} Maribella Zamarripa | 3–6, 6–4, [14–12] |- | style="background:#98fb98;"|Win | <small>5–8</small> | Jan 2026 | style="background:lightblue;"|ITF Antalya, Turkey | style="background:lightblue;"|W35 | Clay | {{flagicon|CRO}} Lucija Ćirić Bagarić | {{flagicon|RUS}} Daria Lodikova <br />{{flagicon|RUS}} Alexandra Shubladze | 4–6, 6–3, [12–10] |}
==References== {{reflist}}
==External links== * {{WTA}} * {{ITF}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Pace, Francesca}} Category:2005 births Category:Living people Category:Italian female tennis players Category:Tennis players from Rome Category:Italian people of Romanian descent Category:21st-century Italian sportswomen