Obituary | Lea Pericoli (1935-2024).

Lea Pericoli, an eccentric Italian who made headlines at Wimbledon during the 1960s by sporting fur, feathers, and lace during her tennis matches, passed away peacefully at age 89 on 4 October. “Tennis has taught me much through its relentless battles to achieve champion status” she once wrote in one interview. How to lose with grace; always starting again one 15 after another; nothing could make me happier! I couldn’t ask for more. Pericoli’s favorite on-court outfit was “the diamond one I wore in South Africa”, according to her account in The Sunday Mirror. While Pericoli did gain some modeling contracts through tennis, as per the Sunday Mirror she didn’t make money off it like Anna Kournikova would have in later decades. “Ingrid Lofdahl Bentzer, former Swedish No 1 and WTA founding member, remembers a fiercely intelligent woman whose natural elegance could serve to distract casual observers – possibly at their peril. “Lea celebrated traditional forms of femininity as an athlete; she also pioneered new boundaries,” commented Lofdahl Bentzer. At a time when efforts to expand the game were predominantly being led from American efforts, she stood out among European players by fighting hard for improvements on the women’s side – an inspiration to all those that followed in her footsteps.” “Lea took pride in her bouffant hairdo and saw herself as an elegant lioness; yet, her generous heart always shone through. Over the years we had so much fun together; Lea was loved and missed dearly – her absence leaves a gaping hole in many lives; truly an outstanding dame!” Lea Pericoli first battled breast cancer in 2012 after successfully fighting off uterine carcinoma back in 1973; her absence caused by this battle led her to briefly return to playing in mid-1970s before suffering another bout. Rejecting social taboos at that time, Lea was open about her diagnosis and became one of Italy’s premier advocates against tumors: Italian League for Tumour Fight. Pericoli once said, “Anyone striving to become a champion fights a continuous war.” Boxing proved invaluable in his life as it taught him many valuable life lessons: losing gracefully while always starting again with fresh determination – perfect! No more could have been asked of me than that experience! Jannik Sinner, another Italian player currently competing at No 1, paid tribute to Pericoli on Instagram by posting a picture with them both together, along with a text post that read: ‘A truly memorable experience that I will treasure always.” Lea Pericoli will always be remembered fondly.” Rafael Nadal also paid his respects by posting on Instagram: “Thanks Lea, for everything. Always remembered by us all”. Lea was born March 22 1935 and passed away October 4 2024.