Despite defeat in two consecutive Grand Slam finals, Jasmine Paolini showed great resilience by winning gold for Italy at the Olympics this summer. Testament to her fighting spirit, Paolini recovered from the disappointment of her major final losses and secured the women’s doubles crown with Sara Errani.
This was a well-deserved moment for the Italian who has shown her tenacity and infectious positive attitude on the court throughout the entire 2024 season which has seen her gain new fans globally.
Born in Tuscany to an Italian father, Paolini is also of Ghanaian and Polish heritage through her mother. At 28, the Italian has enjoyed career-success this season, winning her first WTA 1000 title in Dubai in March, making runs to the French Open final, in both singles and doubles, and finishing runner-up at Wimbledon.
Prior to this year, the world No 6 had never made it beyond the second round of a major. Now, she is an Olympic gold medalist and the first WTA player since Serena Williams to reach the final at Roland Garros and Wimbledon in the same year.
How she fared at the US Open
As she enters the tail end of the season, Paolini can look forward to making her first appearance at the prestigious WTA Finals after qualifying for both the singles doubles event with partner Errani.
Paolini made it to the second week at the final major of the year for the first time in her career. She beat 2019 champion Bianca Andreescu in the opening round in a two-hour-48-minute classic. Then saw off former world No 1 Karolina Pliskova in round two after the Czech unfortunately retired and dispatched 30th seed Yulia Putintseva in straight sets in the third round, before falling to eventual semi-finalist Karolina Muchova in the round of 16.
Paolini’s achievements this year may have come as a surprise to some, as her previous results did not indicate that she would have such a record-breaking campaign. Her only title before this year came back in 2021 at the Slovenia Open in Portoroz which was a WTA 250 at the time.
The three-year wait for her next title ended this year in Dubai and sparked one of the most impressive breakout seasons seen on the WTA Tour in recent times.
Players developing at a later age
Individual sports such as tennis can be difficult for players mentally. Whilst some find it exhilarating, others struggle with the feeling of isolation on the court. As players adjust to the stresses and strains of the pro tour it is only natural that some players may find their best form later than others.
Stanislas Wawrinka, for example, picked up his first Grand Slam title at the 2014 Australian Open aged 28. Flavia Pennetta, Paolini’s countrywoman, won her sole Grand Slam title at the 2015 US Open at the age of 33.
Last year’s Wimbledon also saw then 27-year-old Christopher Eubanks reach the quarter-finals after playing in the main draw at SW19 for the first time.
Although there will be disappointment with losing two Grand Slam finals, Paolini is more than capable of challenging for another Grand Slam and this time getting over the line.
With superstars like Carlos Alcaraz and Iga Swiatek regularly collecting major titles in the early stages of their careers, it would be easy for other players on tour to lose faith in their ability to achieve the same heights. Paolini, however, is a great example for the late bloomers.
Secret behind her success
Paolini is coached by Italian Renzo Furlan who notably reached the quarter-finals of the French Open in 1995 and achieved a career-high ranking of 19 on the ATP Tour. The pair have been working together since 2015, but Furlan became Paolini’s full-time coach in 2020.
Paolini has continued to thrive in both singles and doubles and has three doubles crowns to her name in 2024, including WTA 1000 titles in Rome and Beijing. Her doubles experience has paid dividends on the singles court with her confident net play posing problems for opponents.
Doubles partner Errani can often be spotted at Paolini’s singles matches supporting her friend and compatriot. Errani, one of Italy’s most storied players, is a wise individual to have in the player box. Her gold medal with Paolini rounded off a Golden Slam for the 37-year-old.
November is set to be a busy but rewarding month for Paolini who can look forward to making her debut in Riyadh at the WTA Finals before closing out the year at the Billie Jean King Cup with Italy in Malaga.
The jam-packed end-of-season schedule points to the Italian’s success and is evidence that she has more than earned her place among the elite on the WTA Tour in 2024.
Words by Caleb Akpo-Young