# Vanessa Menga

Vanessa Menga (born 10 October 1976) is a Brazilian former professional tennis player.
Born in São Paulo, she started playing tennis at the age of 4, when she went to an academy along with her father. At the age of 14, Menga went to train tennis in Barcelona, where she won her first doubles championship.
She's the only Brazilian female tennis player to play in two Summer Olympic Games, Atlanta 1996 (doubles with Miriam D’Agostini, falling in round 1), and Sydney 2000 (with Joana Cortez, falling in round 2). Menga was also in two Pan American Games, Mar Del Plata 1995 and Winnipeg 1999, where she won the doubles gold medal with Joana Cortez.
In 2001, Menga posed for Playboy Brazil. In 2003, she retired from tennis after a motorcycle accident which left her for eight months without playing. Menga now has an institute in São Paulo where she teaches tennis to over 200 children, and participates in other charity projects.

## ITF finals
### Singles: 9 (3–6)

* Legend
* $100,000 tournaments
* $75,000 tournaments
* $40,000 tournaments
* $50,000 tournaments
* $25,000 tournaments
* $10,000 tournaments
| Result | No. | Date | Tournament | Surface | Opponent | Score |
| Loss | 1. | 8 July 1996 | ITF São Paulo, Brazil | Clay | Joelle Schad | 1–6, 1–6 |
| Loss | 2. | 27 October 1996 | ITF Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil | Hard | Andrea Vieira | 0–6, 2–6 |
| Win | 3. | 14 September 1997 | ITF La Paz, Bolivia | Clay | Laura Montalvo | 6–3, 7–5 |
| Loss | 4. | 20 October 1997 | ITF Novo Hamburgo, Brazil | Clay | Laura Montalvo | 3–6, 0–6 |
| Win | 5. | 11 May 1998 | ITF Poza Rica, Mexico | Hard | Alina Jidkova | 6–2, 6–7, 6–1 |
| Win | 6. | 6 September 1998 | ITF Manaus, Brazil | Hard | Dora Krstulović | 1–6, 6–1, 6–2 |
| Loss | 7. | 22 November 1998 | ITF Caracas, Venezuela | Hard | Maureen Drake | 1–6, 2–6 |
| Loss | 8. | 30 November 1998 | ITF Guadalajara, Mexico | Clay | Katalin Marosi | 5–7, 3–6 |
| Loss | 9. | 22 July 2001 | ITF São José dos Campos, Brazil | Hard | Seda Noorlander | 1–6, 3–6 |

### Doubles: 54 (33–21)

| Result | No. | Date | Tournament | Surface | Partner | Opponents | Score |
| Win | 1. | 3 May 1993 | ITF Balaguer, Spain | Clay | Melissa Beadman | Yolanda Clemot Ángeles Montolio | 6–2, 6–2 |
| Loss | 2. | 21 March 1994 | Castellón, Spain | Clay | Maria Inés Araiz | Ivana Havrlíková Patrícia Marková | 6–4, 3–6, 3–6 |
| Win | 3. | 4 April 1994 | Murcia, Spain | Clay | Ivana Havrlíková | Jindra Gabrisová Dominika Gorecká | 6–3, 6–1 |
| Win | 4. | 12 September 1994 | Manizales, Colombia | Clay | Guadalupe Bugallo | María Dolores Campana María Fernanda Landa | 2–6, 6–4, 7–5 |
| Loss | 5. | 19 September 1994 | Guayaquil, Ecuador | Clay | Luciana Tella | Paula Cabezas Emilie Viqueira | 4–6, 4–6 |
| Win | 6. | 26 September 1994 | Lima, Peru | Clay | Luciana Tella | Laura Arraya María Eugenia Rojas | 6–4, 6–3 |
| Loss | 7. | 30 October 1994 | São Paulo, Brazil | Clay | Miriam D'Agostini | Luciana Tella Andrea Vieira | 6–4, 3–6, 1–6 |
| Win | 8. | 28 November 1994 | São Paulo, Brazil | Clay | Luciana Tella | Carmiña Giraldo Paula Umaña | 6–2, 6–3 |
| Loss | 9. | 8 May 1995 | Mollet, Spain | Clay | Mariana Eberle | Marta Cano Nuria Montero | 5–7, 4–6 |
| Loss | 10. | 17 July 1995 | Santos, Brazil | Clay | Valentina Solari | Ximena Rodríguez Joelle Schad | 7–5, 3–6, 1–6 |
| Win | 11. | 31 July 1995 | Brasília, Brazil | Clay | Andrea Vieira | Geraldine Aizenberg Joelle Schad | 6–4, 6–2 |
| Win | 12. | 20 November 1995 | São Paulo, Brazil | Clay | Andrea Vieira | Eugenia Maia Luciana Tella | 7–6$^{(7–3)}$, 6–3 |
| Win | 13. | 4 December 1995 | São Paulo, Brazil | Hard | Luciana Tella | Nannie de Villiers Katalin Marosi | 6–3, 6–2 |
| Win | 14. | 24 June 1996 | Campo Grande, Brazil | Hard | Eugenia Maia | Cristina Ferreira Suzana Rodriguez | 1–6, 6–3, 6–3 |
| Loss | 15. | 1 July 1996 | Santos, Brazil | Clay | Joelle Schad | Luciana Tella Andrea Vieira | 6–3, 1–6, 3–6 |
| Win | 16. | 8 July 1996 | São Paulo, Brazil | Clay | Joelle Schad | Luciana Tella Renata Diez | 6–7$^{(6–8)}$, 6–3, 6–2 |
| Loss | 17. | 24 November 1996 | São Paulo, Brazil | Clay | Miriam D'Agostini | Cara Black Irina Selyutina | 6–3, 3–6, 2–6 |
| Loss | 18. | 28 September 1997 | San Miguel de Tucumán, Argentina | Clay | Miriam D'Agostini | Cara Black Irina Selyutina | 3–6, 1–6 |
| Loss | 19. | 6 October 1997 | Montevideo, Uruguay | Clay | Laura Bernal | Monika Maštalířová Paula Racedo | 1–6, 6–4, 4–6 |
| Win | 20. | 18 October 1997 | Asunción, Paraguay | Clay | Larissa Schaerer | Monika Maštalířová Paula Racedo | w/o |
| Loss | 21. | 20 October 1997 | Novo Hamburgo, Brazil | Clay | Miriam D'Agostini | Joana Cortez Ana-Paula Zannoni | 3–6, 7–6$^{(7–4)}$, 1–6 |
| Loss | 22. | 2 November 1997 | Mogi das Cruzes, Brazil | Clay | Miriam D'Agostini | Laura Montalvo Mercedes Paz | 2–6, 0–6 |
| Win | 23. | 23 November 1997 | São Paulo, Brazil | Clay | Miriam D'Agostini | Celeste Contín Cintia Tortorella | 6–1, 6–3 |
| Win | 24. | 14 December 1997 | Bogotá, Colombia | Clay | Miriam D'Agostini | Eugenia Maia Larissa Schaerer | 6–2, 6–2 |
| Loss | 25. | 4 May 1998 | Tampico, Mexico | Hard | Paula Cabezas | Adria Engel Alina Jidkova | 6–7, 5–7 |
| Win | 26. | 11 May 1998 | Poza Rica, Mexico | Hard | Paula Cabezas | Adria Engel Alina Jidkova | 3–6, 6–2, 6–2 |
| Win | 27. | 18 May 1998 | Coatzacoalcos, Mexico | Hard | Paula Cabezas | Adria Engel Alina Jidkova | 6–3, 6–2 |
| Loss | 28. | 6 July 1998 | Vigo, Spain | Clay | Paula Racedo | Lourdes Domínguez Lino Elena Salvador | 1–6, 6–4, 2–6 |
| Win | 29. | 18 July 1998 | Getxo, Spain | Clay | Lourdes Domínguez Lino | Tomoe Hotta Petra Rampre | 3–6, 6–4, 7–5 |
| Win | 30. | 22 November 1998 | Caracas, Venezuela | Hard | Alicia Ortuño | Maureen Drake Caroline Schneider | 6–3, 5–7, 6–3 |
| Win | 31. | 12 September 1999 | Mexico City, Mexico | Clay | Joana Cortez | Melody Falcó Joelle Schad | 6–4, 6–2 |
| Win | 32. | 12 June 2000 | Grado, Italy | Clay | Alicia Ortuño | Lourdes Domínguez Lino María José Martínez Sánchez | 3–6, 7–5, 6–1 |
| Win | 33. | 19 June 2000 | Grado, Italy | Clay | Alicia Ortuño | Maja Matevžič Dragana Zarić | 4–6, 6–4, 6–1 |
| Win | 34. | 7 August 2000 | Carthage, Tunisia | Clay | Alicia Ortuño | Bianca Kamper Ekaterina Kozhokina | 6–2, 6–1 |
| Win | 35. | 9 October 2000 | Mexico City, Mexico | Hard | Joana Cortez | Kirstin Freye Kelly Liggan | 5–3, 5–4$^{(6–4)}$, 4–0 |
| Loss | 36. | 7 January 2001 | São Paulo, Brazil | Hard | Miriam D'Agostini | Clarisa Fernández Romina Ottoboni | 1–6, 6–7$^{(6–8)}$ |
| Win | 37. | 14 May 2001 | Turin, Italy | Clay | Melisa Arévalo | Luciana Masante Daniela Olivera | 7–5, 6–2 |
| Win | 38. | 21 May 2001 | Guimarães, Portugal | Hard | Galina Fokina | Lenka Cenková Magdalena Zděnovcová | 6–2, 6–1 |
| Win | 39. | 28 May 2001 | Biella, Italy | Clay | Joana Cortez | Daniela Klemenschits Sandra Klemenschits | 7–6$^{(7–4)}$, 4–6, 6–3 |
| Win | 40. | 4 June 2001 | Galatina, Italy | Clay | Dally Randriantefy | Bahia Mouhtassine Andreea Ehritt-Vanc | 3–6, 6–0, 7–5 |
| Win | 41. | 25 June 2001 | Fontanafredda, Italy | Clay | Joana Cortez | Melisa Arévalo Natalia Gussoni | 6–3, 6–3 |
| Loss | 42. | 22 July 2001 | São José dos Campos, Brazil | Hard | Melisa Arévalo | Bruna Colósio Carla Tiene | 3–6, 5–7 |
| Win | 43. | 17 September 2001 | São José dos Campos, Brazil | Clay | Daniela Olivera | Joana Cortez Conchita Martínez Granados | 4–6, 7–5, 6–3 |
| Win | 44. | 23 September 2001 | São Paulo, Brazil | Hard | Carla Tiene | Melisa Arévalo Jorgelina Cravero | 6–3, 6–1 |
| Win | 45. | 28 January 2002 | Saltillo, Mexico | Hard | Melisa Arévalo | Caroline-Ann Basu Daniela Olivera | 4–6, 6–4, 7–5 |
| Win | 46. | 4 February 2002 | Monterrey, Mexico | Hard | Melisa Arévalo | Maria Fernanda Alves Olga Kalyuzhnaya | 6–2, 6–1 |
| Loss | 47. | 10 February 2002 | Matamoros, Mexico | Hard | Melisa Arévalo | Jorgelina Cravero Carla Tiene | 2–6, 6–2, 5–7 |
| Loss | 48. | 17 February 2002 | Ciudad Victoria, Mexico | Hard | Melisa Arévalo | Jorgelina Cravero Carla Tiene | 2–6, 5–7 |
| Loss | 49. | 31 March 2002 | San Luis Potosí, Mexico | Clay | Carla Tiene | Dominika Luzarová Arantxa Parra Santonja | 5–7, 6–4, 3–6 |
| Loss | 50. | 6 April 2002 | Belo Horizonte, Brazil | Hard | Maria Fernanda Alves | Celeste Contín Romina Ottoboni | 4–6, 6–2, 5–7 |
| Win | 51. | 9 June 2002 | Caserta, Italy | Clay | Erica Krauth | Maja Palaveršić Marie-Ève Pelletier | 6–4, 6–4 |
| Loss | 52. | 26 January 2003 | ITF Miami, United States | Hard | Bruna Colósio | Beau Jones Anžela Žguna | 4–6, 6–4, 4–6 |
| Win | 53. | 31 March 2003 | ITF Naples, Italy | Clay | Stefanie Haidner | Oana Elena Golimbioschi Eszter Molnár | 7–6$^{(8–6)}$, 6–3 |
| Loss | 54. | 7 November 2005 | ITF São Paulo, Brazil | Hard | Andrea Vieira | Ana Clara Duarte Roxane Vaisemberg | 6–3, 5–7, 4–6 |