The 33-year-old Pennetta won the U.S. Open final 7-6 (4), 6-2 on Saturday, a day after Vinci stunned Serena Williams in the semis. Unlike the top-ranked Williams, Pennetta was unfazed by her former junior doubles partner's slices and volleys, and the 43rd-ranked Vinci couldn't recapture her brilliant play from Friday.
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Both players were in their first major final in this unexpected matchup. Vinci is 32, and their combined age was the highest for a Grand Slam women's final in the Open era, which started in 1968.
The previous record for the oldest first-time major champion was another Italian: Francesca Schiavone was nearly 30 when she won the 2010 French Open, inspiring her two countrywomen.
Pennetta has also announced that she will retire from tennis.