Who is Jasmine Paolini? Getting to know Italy’s latest breakthrough tennis star

She has emerged as the breakthrough star at the 2024 French Open, but what is the story behind Italy’s latest tennis sensation Jasmine Paolini?

The 28-year-old had never even been past the second round at a grand slam until this year, and her 6-2 4-6 6-4 win over fourth seed Elena Rybakina in the quarter-final was one of the shocks of Roland Garros this year.

This late bloomer has enjoyed a breakthrough year, beginning with a run to the fourth round in Australia and taking in a WTA 1000 title win in Dubai in February.

When she looks back on her rise to the top, Paolini admits she has taken longer than expected to reach her peak.

“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. I was just enjoying playing tennis.

“Now we are here, in a Grand Slam final and it is hard to believe.

“I step on court believing that I can win every match. That I think makes all the difference.

“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. I think it was like a process. I lost all the matches, more or less, against the top players, but I was getting closer.

“Now with more matches, let’s say, in my pocket, I feel more confidence in my game, in myself.

“I think I’m really easy person. I like to smile, to enjoy. Nothing special, normal person. Yeah, that’s me.”

Who are Jasmine Paolini’s parents? The diminutive Italian has a mix of roots from Poland to Ghana

Paolini’s WTA title win in Dubai earlier this year confirmed she could mix it with the best in the game and now she is relishing the prospect of breaking into the top 10 of the WTA Rankings for the first time in her career.

Her rise in singles comes after a career that has featured some impressive results on the doubles court, alongside partner Sara Errani.

“We connect well on and off the court. We are good friends and we talk a lot,” she says of Erani, who was her partner as they made a run to the 2020 French Open doubles final.

“Of course, I’m older than her. I’ve lived these situations in another time. I can help her understand the feelings, I can help her to manage the situation. It’s nice she has me to talk to.”

Paolini’s stunning run to the French Open final continued the remarkable boom in Italian tennis, with Jannik Sinner’s rise to world No 1 cementing the nation as the new powerhouse of the game.

“It’s unbelievable to see Jannik when he was 15-years-old say that his dream was to be No.1, and for me it’s something different,” added Paolini.

“I never dreamed to be in a Grand Slam final, and I’m here. I’m so happy, but it’s something different. I’m a different kind of person I think.”

Sinner may be the leader of the Italian tennis pack, but Paolini has proved this story has plenty of stars and there is more to come in a nation that has given their rising stars plenty of chances to develop by hosting a wide range of tournaments on home soil.

It is a blueprint producing incredible results, with Sinner and Paolini certain to inspire more Italian kids to pick up a racket and follow in their footsteps to the top of the game.