One of the beauties of the all-Italian U.S. Open final was the genuine love and affection between the two finalists, Flavia Pennetta and Roberta Vinci. After Pennetta won in straight sets, you wouldn’t have known by looking at either player who won the match, as Pennetta was restrained in victory and Vinci appeared truly happy for the friend she’s known for almost all her life. Their embrace at the net, their post-match joking and Vinci playfully grabbing for the winner’s trophy made theirs one of the finest trophy ceremonies in memory. (It didn’t hurt that Pennetta stunned the tennis world by announcing her retirement just a few minutes after winning the biggest match of her life.)

Here’s Pennetta talking about the friendship.

Later, she would tell ESPN how much Vinci means to her.

“I love her,” she said.

(USA TODAY Sports Images)