2024 Finals players to watch: Jasmine Paolini
04/11/2024 15:43
Italy's Jasmine Paolini has enjoyed a memorable 2024 - can she finish the season by helping her country go one better than last year at the Billie Jean King Cup by Gainbridge Finals?
By Kevin Palmer
Jasmine Paolini could never have imagined 2024 would go like this.
The 28-year-old started this year ranked at No. 29 and had yet to get past the second round of a Grand Slam in singles competition, but her record now looks very different.
A run to the fourth round at the Australian Open in January was a prelude to appearances at the Roland Garros and Wimbledon finals, while she also reached the last 16 at the US Open.
She also won her first WTA 1000 title in Dubai in March, broke into the top ten of the WTA Rankings for the first time and topped it all by winning Olympic gold alongside her great friend Sara Errani in the doubles event at the Paris 2024 Games.
Making such impressive breakthroughs at this latter stage of a career has made the joy all the more profound for Paolini and now she is hoping to end her dream year on a high by leading Italy to Billie Jean King Cup Finals glory in Malaga.
For a player who had previously been noted for her expertise in doubles, her achievements this year have allowed Paolini to realise so many of her ambitions that fired her passion for tennis.
"I started to play tennis when I was five and I fell in love with the sport," she said. "It's a long journey. I was not dreaming too much at the start. I was just enjoying playing tennis. Now we are here, in Grand Slam finals and it's hard to believe.
"I step on court believing that I can win every match. That I think makes all the difference from where I was before.
"When you are not confident, it's a little bit more complicated in tennis I think because it's a really mental sport.
"I don't think there was a special moment when it changed. It was a process. At the start, I lost all the matches, more or less, against the top players, but I was getting closer.
"I think every person has her own steps. I needed some more time to believe maybe that I could play at this level.
"Now things are a little different for me. I have a little bit more attention on myself, but I'm trying to enjoy, to live the present, to enjoy the moment because it's nice to be in this position. It's also nice to play great matches against top players."
Tuscany-born Paolini suggests her athleticism around the court is down to her Ghanaian father Ugo, while her Polish mother Jacqueline ensured Jasmine learned the language of her homeland.
"When I was young my mother was speaking to me in Polish. Now I can speak Polish, but I also forgot some words," she told WTA Insider.
"For example, Magdalena Frech is speaking to me. And I am always like, 'Please speak slow. Because sometimes I would like to say something in Polish and I say one word in English.' My brain is mixed a lot!"
After Italy's men won the Davis Cup in Malaga last year, the rise of Paolini has inspired hope that their women can follow suit by winning the biggest team event in the women's game, with her prowess in singles and doubles ensuring she will be a crucial player for Italy captain Tathiana Garbin.
If it comes down to a decisive doubles match in any of Italy's ties in Malaga, they will fancy their chances of success as they have their 2024 Olympic gold medal double act of Paolini and Errani ready for action.
"It's very special to be part of her success," said Errani of Paolini. "I'm really, really proud of her. Her energy is unique, she can give a lot of energy to everyone around her. We've created a lot of memories together, it's nice to live this life with her.
"I think playing doubles has helped her to manage playing at the top, to improve her consistency. She's done a really good job, working really hard. Physically she's very strong and very fast, so she's improved that.
"She believes more. Last year she faced the top players many times, matches she lost, but those matches gave her a lesson, it proved her level was near."
Italian tennis is living through a golden era, with Paolini and Errani eager to continue that run of success at the Billie Jean King Cup Finals.
