Italian Swimming Legend Federica Pellegrini Gives Birth to Second Daughter Rachele

Federica Pellegrini, the retired Italian swimming champion known as "La Divina," gave birth to her second daughter, Rachele, on the morning of April 2, 2026, at the Sacro Cuore Don Calabria Hospital. Pellegrini and her husband Matteo Giunta announced the birth through a joint Instagram post featuring a photograph of the couple smiling with the newborn. The caption read: "Hello Rachele. Our little one born with the pink moon." The post gathered over 20,000 likes and 600 comments within minutes, according to Fanpage. Rachele joins her older sister Matilde, who was born in 2024, completing the family's second chapter after Pellegrini's retirement from competitive swimming.

Matilde picked the name from a favorite book The name Rachele carried particular family significance, as it was reportedly suggested by the couple's two-year-old daughter Matilde, inspired by one of her favorite books. Pellegrini described the name as one that "evokes calm, peace, and tranquility," according to Il Fatto Quotidiano. In the days before the birth, Pellegrini shared a photograph of Matilde watching an ultrasound scan, a moment that moved many of her followers. The birth was a scheduled cesarean section, a decision Pellegrini made deliberately after a difficult first delivery. During the birth of Matilde, an emergency cesarean had been required due to complications, an experience she later recounted in an interview on the television program Verissimo. Pellegrini had stated plainly before the birth: "The other time it was tough for the baby too. I had an emergency cesarean section. This time we already know how it will go."

Social media criticism preceded the birth by days The days leading up to the birth were not without controversy, as Pellegrini faced criticism on social media over two separate issues. The first concerned an ironic post in which she described a dinner out with Giunta as their "last supper" before the baby's arrival, writing that she did not know how the couple would manage their time together once the newborn arrived. Some followers responded with pointed remarks about her financial means and access to domestic help. The second wave of criticism targeted her choice of a scheduled cesarean section, with one user calling her "pathetic" for the decision. Pellegrini responded directly and sharply, stating that the cesarean was chosen to protect her daughter's safety given what had occurred during her first delivery. „Pathetic, yeah right... I'm doing the C-section for an excellent reason and that is not to put my daughter in danger, something that happened with Matilde and as for the grandmother... saint immediately” — Federica Pellegrini via il Giornale.it The announcement of Rachele's birth effectively swept the controversy aside, with fans and fellow athletes flooding the couple's social media with congratulations.

Olympic gold medalist turned television personality and mother Pellegrini, who turned 37 in 2025, is widely regarded as the greatest Italian swimmer in history and one of the most accomplished in the world. Pellegrini holds European records in the 200-metre and 400-metre freestyle events. She won an Olympic gold medal and an Olympic silver medal among numerous career titles. She announced her retirement from competitive swimming and has since built a public profile as a television personality in Italy. Her pregnancy with Rachele was first announced on her social media profiles in December 2025, when she also revealed the baby would be a girl. Matteo Giunta, her husband, served as her coach during the final phase of her competitive career, a professional relationship that evolved into a personal one. The couple's pregnancy announcement in December 2025 had already generated significant public interest, given Pellegrini's prominent status in Italian sport and media. The birth of Rachele marks a further step in what Pellegrini herself described as a new private dimension of her life, distinct from the competitive career that defined her for two decades. In a candid remark before the birth, she reflected on the challenge ahead: „If I only think that I will have to manage two small girls” — Federica Pellegrini via Fanpage