| Vanessa Atkinson | |
| Fullname: | Vanessa Louise Atkinson |
| Residence: | Leeds, England |
| Birth Date: | 10 March 1976 |
| Birth Place: | Newcastle, England |
| Turnedpro: | 1995 |
| Retired: | 2011 |
| Plays: | Right Handed |
| Coach: | Liz Irving |
| Racquet: | Karakal |
| Event: | Women's singles |
| Highest Ranking: | No. 1 |
| Date Of Highest Ranking: | December, 2005 |
| Titles: | 25 |
| Finals: | 42 |
| Worldopenresult: | W (2004) |
| Updated: | 3 December 2019 |
Vanessa Louise Atkinson (born 10 March 1976 in Newcastle, England) is a former professional squash player from the Netherlands, who won the World Open in 2004 and reached the World No. 1 ranking in December 2005.
Atkinson was born in England, but her family moved to the Netherlands when she was still a child. She began playing squash as a youngster in Dordrecht. She now resides in Harrogate, Yorkshire, with her partner James Willstrop, himself a professional squash player.[1]
Atkinson's biggest win came in 2004 when she won the World Open title in Kuala Lumpur by defeating fellow compatriote Natalie Grinham (at that time still representing Australia) with a score of 9–1, 9–1, 9–5 in the final.[2] Atkinson also has won major tournaments in Qatar, New York, Monte Carlo, Malaysia and Ireland.
Atkinson retired from professional play in May 2011.
2 finals (2 titles, 0 runner-up)
| Outcome | Year | Opponent in the final | Score in the final | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Winner | 2004 | 9-4, 9-7, 9-6 | ||
| Winner | 2005 | 9-7, 9-4, 9-2 |
2 finals (1 title, 1 runner-up)
| Outcome | Year | Opponent in the final | Score in the final | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Winner | 2004 | 9-2, 9-4, 9-0 | ||
| Runner-up | 2005 | 3-9, 9-3, 1-9, 9-1, 9-4 |