Jasmine Paolini

2.1. Childhood and Introduction to Tennis

Paolini's family background is diverse; her father, Ugo, is Italian, while her mother, Jacqueline, has Polish and Ghanaian ancestry. Her maternal grandmother resides in Łódź, Poland, and her maternal grandfather, who is Ghanaian, lives in Copenhagen, Denmark. Jasmine also has a brother, William, who shares her passion for tennis and plays the sport.

She was first introduced to tennis at the young age of five by her father and uncle. Her early training took place at the Mirafiume Tennis Club located in Bagni di Lucca. To further her tennis development and receive more advanced coaching, Paolini relocated to Tirrenia when she was 15 years old. Despite her relatively shorter height of 5.3 ft ^{(1.63 m)}, which she has openly stated she wished was greater for serving, her playing style has greatly benefited from her exceptional speed and agility, allowing her to effectively outmaneuver opponents on the court.

3.1. Junior Career

Paolini's junior career saw her achieve her first and only junior title in January 2013 at the J4 Wilson ITF Junior Classic, held in Bergheim, Austria. Later that year, she made her debut at a Junior Grand Slam, qualifying for the US Open, where she reached the third round before being defeated by eventual finalist Tornado Alicia Black. In January 2014, she continued her progress at the junior level, reaching the third round of the Australian Open.

3.2. 2015-2017: WTA Tour Debut and First Titles

In May 2015, Paolini received a wildcard entry into the main draw of the doubles tournament at the Italian Open, partnering with Nastassja Burnett. The pair, however, lost in the first round to the formidable team of Alla Kudryavtseva and Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova.

A significant milestone came in June 2017 when Paolini secured her first 100k title at the Marseille tournament. Her impressive run included victories over Taylor Townsend, Sara Cakarevic, Anhelina Kalinina, Dalma Gálfi, and top seed Tatjana Maria in the final. The following month, she made her WTA Tour singles debut at the 2017 Swedish Open, but her campaign was cut short in the first round by fifth seed Carla Suárez Navarro. She also competed in the 2017 Guangzhou International Women's Open, where she again exited in the first round after a loss to third seed Anett Kontaveit.

3.3. 2018-2020: Breaking into Top 100 and First Major Wins

After failing to qualify for the 2018 Australian Open, Paolini represented Italy in the Fed Cup, participating in the World Group II tie against Spain and the World Group play-offs against Belgium. In April 2018, she recorded her first WTA Tour singles victory at the Copa Colsanitas against qualifier Lizette Cabrera. The following month, as a lucky loser at the Prague Open, she achieved a notable upset over third seed Daria Kasatkina and subsequently defeated Anna Karolína Schmiedlová to reach her first WTA quarterfinal.

In May 2019, Paolini made her WTA 1000 singles debut as a wildcard at the Italian Open, but she was defeated in the first round by Sofia Kenin. Later that month, she qualified for her first Grand Slam tournament, the 2019 French Open, by navigating through the qualifiers without dropping a set, overcoming Anna Zaja, Rebecca Šramková, and Allie Kiick. Although she lost in the first round of the main draw, this marked a significant step. She then reached the quarterfinals of the Palermo Ladies Open, defeating Laura Siegemund and Irina-Camelia Begu before falling to top seed Kiki Bertens. She also qualified for the main draw in Guangzhou and reached the quarterfinals there. After reaching the final of the Tokyo Open in November 2019, Paolini achieved a new career-high ranking of world No. 96, becoming the first Italian woman to break into the top 100 since Camila Giorgi in 2012.

In 2020, Paolini gained direct entry into the main draws of the Australian Open and the US Open, but she was unable to advance past the first round in either tournament. She recorded her first WTA 1000-level win at the Italian Open by defeating Anastasija Sevastova in the first round. At the 2020 French Open, which was postponed to September due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Paolini secured her first major singles victory by defeating Aliona Bolsova in the first round. She also achieved her first doubles win at a major, partnering Varvara Gracheva to defeat sisters Lyudmyla Kichenok and Nadiia Kichenok in the first round.

3.4. 2021: First WTA Tour Titles and Olympic Debut

At the 2021 Gippsland Trophy in February 2021, Paolini reached her first WTA 500 third round, defeating Rebecca Marino and tenth seed Wang Qiang, before being stopped by eighth seed Karolína Muchová. She advanced to her first WTA 125 final at Saint-Malo, where she defeated Elsa Jacquemot, Nina Stojanović, Anna Karolína Schmiedlová, and Varvara Gracheva, ultimately losing to Viktorija Golubic in the final. She reached the second round of the 2021 French Open for the second consecutive year with a win over Stefanie Vögele.



In June, Paolini won her first WTA 125 title at the Bol Open as the third seed, navigating a challenging draw to defeat Viktória Hrunčáková, Olga Govortsova, Kristína Kučová, top seed Anna Blinkova, and second seed Arantxa Rus in the final. The following month, she claimed her first WTA Tour doubles title at the 2021 Hamburg European Open, partnering with Jil Teichmann.

At the Summer Olympics in Tokyo, Paolini represented Italy in both singles and doubles. In singles, she faced a tough first-round exit against tenth seed Petra Kvitová. In doubles, she and partner Sara Errani, who had entered the tournament as alternates, secured a notable upset victory in the first round against the eighth-seeded team of Nicole Melichar and Alison Riske, before eventually falling in the second round.

In September, Paolini won her maiden career WTA singles title at the Slovenia Open in Portorož. Her path to the title included wins over sixth seed Dayana Yastremska, Anna Kalinskaya, fourth seed Sorana Cîrstea, second seed Yulia Putintseva, and third seed Alison Riske in the final. The subsequent month, she reached her first WTA 1000 third round, after successfully qualifying for the Indian Wells Open and securing victories over Mai Hontama and 14th seed Elise Mertens. She concluded her season by reaching the semifinals of the 2021 Courmayeur Ladies Open and the quarterfinals of the Linz Open.

3.5. 2022: Entry into Top 50 and First Top-10 Win

At the Melbourne Summer Set 1, Paolini and her partner Sara Errani advanced to the doubles final, but were defeated by the second-seeded team of Asia Muhammad and Jessica Pegula. Following her performance at the Australian Open, Paolini broke into the WTA top 50 rankings for the first time in her career, marking a significant personal milestone. She then achieved back-to-back third rounds at the Indian Wells Open, where she famously upset second seed Aryna Sabalenka in the second round, securing her first career victory against a Top 10 ranked player.

Paolini reached back-to-back WTA 250 quarterfinals in Palermo and Warsaw. Attempting to defend her singles title at the Portorož tournament, Paolini defeated Tara Würth and Kaja Juvan before being eliminated in the quarterfinals by eventual champion Kateřina Siniaková. She reached her second career WTA final at the Transylvania Open, overcoming challenging opponents such as sixth seed Marta Kostyuk, Dayana Yastremska, Jule Niemeier, and seventh seed Wang Xiyu. In the final, she ultimately lost to qualifier Anna Blinkova. She concluded her successful season by winning the $100k Torneig Internacional Els Gorchs title.

3.6. 2023: Becoming Italian No. 1 and Billie Jean King Cup Final

Jasmine Paolini's 2023 season began with a slow start, marked by first-round exits at major tournaments such as the Australian Open, Dubai, Indian Wells, Miami, and Madrid. Despite these early setbacks, she found her stride in May, winning her second WTA 125 title as the fourth seed at the 2023 Firenze Ladies Open. She continued her strong form into June, reaching the final of the 2023 Makarska International Championships. In July, she advanced to the final at the Palermo Ladies Open as the fourth seed, with notable wins over Arantxa Rus, Dayana Yastremska, top seed Daria Kasatkina, and Sara Sorribes Tormo, before ultimately losing to second seed Zheng Qinwen.

Paolini successfully qualified for the main draw of the Cincinnati Open, where she made a deep run to the quarterfinals, securing victories against Marta Kostyuk and Cristina Bucșa, and benefiting from an early retirement by Elena Rybakina. The following month, she reached the first WTA 1000 doubles semifinal of her career at the Guadalajara Open, partnering with Mayar Sherif.

At the China Open, Paolini reached the third round in singles, with wins over Beatriz Haddad Maia and Yuan Yue. Following this impressive performance, she achieved a new career-high ranking of No. 31 on October 9, becoming the highest-ranked Italian female tennis player, surpassing Elisabetta Cocciaretto. At the Zhengzhou Open, she continued her strong singles form by reaching the semifinals, defeating Moyuka Uchijima, world No. 10 Caroline Garcia, and Laura Siegemund, before being defeated by eventual champion Zheng Qinwen. The subsequent week, she reached the finals of the Jasmin Open in both singles and doubles. As the top seed in singles, she defeated Alizé Cornet, Petra Marčinko, sixth seed Lucia Bronzetti, and fourth seed Lesia Tsurenko, but ultimately lost to second seed and defending champion Elise Mertens in the final. In doubles, she and partner Sara Errani secured the title after saving a match point in the semifinals.

In November, Paolini was a key member of the Italian team that competed in the Billie Jean King Cup Finals. Team Italy defeated France, Germany, and Slovenia to reach the final, where they ultimately lost to Team Canada.

3.7. 2024: Grand Slam Finals, Olympic Gold, and Career-High Ranking

The 2024 season marked a breakthrough year for Jasmine Paolini, filled with career-defining achievements. At the Australian Open, she reached the fourth round of a major for the first time, securing wins over Diana Shnaider, Tatjana Maria, and Anna Blinkova. Her run was eventually ended by fellow first-time fourth-round participant Anna Kalinskaya. Despite the loss, this performance propelled her to a new career-high ranking of No. 24.

In February, partnering with Sara Errani, Paolini won the doubles title at the Linz Open, defeating top seeds Nicole Melichar-Martinez and Ellen Perez in the final. At the Dubai Tennis Championships, Paolini reached her second quarterfinal at the WTA 1000 level, defeating 11th seed Beatriz Haddad Maia, Leylah Fernandez, and eighth seed Maria Sakkari. She then reached her first final at this level after a semifinal win over Sorana Cîrstea. In the final, she avenged her Australian Open loss to Anna Kalinskaya, defeating her to claim her first WTA 1000 singles title. This victory moved her into the top 15 of the WTA rankings on February 26, 2024.

At the Indian Wells Open, Paolini reached the fourth round, once again defeating Tatjana Maria and Anna Kalinskaya, before losing to 28th seed Anastasia Potapova. Her strong form continued with a quarterfinal appearance at the Porsche Grand Prix in Stuttgart, where she defeated compatriot Sara Errani and seventh seed Ons Jabeur, before falling to eventual champion Elena Rybakina. This result elevated her to a new career-high ranking of No. 13. Following a fourth-round run at the Madrid Open, she further climbed to a career-high of No. 12.

Partnering again with Sara Errani, Paolini reached the doubles final at the Italian Open. They defeated the formidable third-seeded team of Coco Gauff and Erin Routliffe to win her first WTA 1000 doubles title. This achievement saw her break into the top 25 in doubles on May 20, 2024.

Seeded 12th at the French Open, Paolini reached her first Grand Slam quarterfinal with wins over Daria Saville, lucky loser Hailey Baptiste, 2019 US Open champion Bianca Andreescu, and Elina Avanesyan. She then caused a major upset by defeating fourth seed Elena Rybakina, marking her first top-five win at a major tournament. In the semifinals, she overcame Mirra Andreeva to reach her first Grand Slam singles final, where she ultimately lost to world No. 1, Iga Świątek. Additionally, she and Errani reached the doubles final, but were defeated by the fifth-seeded team of Coco Gauff and Kateřina Siniaková.

Paolini, who had never won a match at the tournament before, made an incredible run at Wimbledon as the seventh seed. She recorded wins over Sara Sorribes Tormo, Greet Minnen, Bianca Andreescu, Madison Keys, Emma Navarro, and Donna Vekić. Her performance made her the first Italian woman to reach the Wimbledon semifinals in the Open Era, and the first woman to reach both the French Open and Wimbledon finals in the same season since Serena Williams in 2016. Paolini eventually lost in the final to 31st seed Barbora Krejčíková in three sets. Following her remarkable run, she achieved a new career-high ranking of world No. 5 on July 15, 2024.

At the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris, seeded fourth in singles, Paolini was upset in the third round by world No. 67, Anna Karolína Schmiedlová. However, her Olympic campaign culminated in a historic achievement in doubles. Seeded third with Sara Errani, they won the gold medal, defeating Mirra Andreeva and Diana Shnaider in the final.

In October, Paolini and Errani continued their doubles success, winning the title at the China Open, defeating Chan Hao-ching and Veronika Kudermetova in the final. This made them the first Italian doubles champions at the tournament. Following this victory, Paolini entered the top 10 in doubles, reaching world No. 9 on October 7, 2024. This achievement made her the only active player at the time, male or female, to be ranked in the top 10 in both singles and doubles. In singles at the same tournament, Paolini reached the third round, losing to 31st seed Magda Linette. At the subsequent WTA 1000 event, the Wuhan Open, on her debut, she reached the singles quarterfinals with wins over Yuan Yue and lucky loser Erika Andreeva, before losing to fifth seed and eventual runner-up Zheng Qinwen. As a result, she reached a new career-high singles ranking of world No. 4 on October 28, 2024, tying the record for the highest-ranked Italian female singles player with Francesca Schiavone.

Aged 28, Paolini became the second oldest player, after Li Na (who was 29), to make their debut at the WTA Finals in November. She defeated Elena Rybakina in straight sets in her opening round-robin match. However, she lost her subsequent matches to Aryna Sabalenka and Zheng Qinwen, and consequently did not progress to the semifinals. Partnering with Sara Errani, she also exited the doubles competition in the round-robin stage with a record of one win and two losses.

At the Billie Jean King Cup Finals in Spain, Paolini was instrumental in Italy's success. She defeated Moyuka Uchijima in the singles rubber and then teamed with Sara Errani to overcome Shuko Aoyama and Eri Hozumi as Italy won their quarterfinal tie against Japan. In the semifinals against Poland, after losing her singles match to Iga Świątek, Paolini and Sara Errani secured the decisive doubles rubber, defeating Katarzyna Kawa and Świątek, to secure a place in the final. In the final against Slovakia, Paolini defeated Rebecca Šramková to clinch the winning point, leading Italy to victory and the Billie Jean King Cup title.

In December, Paolini and Errani's dominant doubles partnership was recognized when they were named the WTA Doubles Team of the Year. They were also honored as the ITF Women's Doubles World Champions for 2024.

3.8. 2025: Current Season

Jasmine Paolini began her 2025 season at the Australian Open as the fourth seed. She secured wins over qualifier Wei Sijia and Renata Zarazúa to reach the third round, where she was eventually defeated by 28th seed Elina Svitolina in three sets.

In February, Paolini and Sara Errani continued their successful doubles partnership by winning their third WTA 1000 doubles title together at the Qatar Open. They defeated the team of Jiang Xinyu and Wu Fang-hsien in the final. The following week, Paolini's defense of her Dubai Tennis Championship singles title ended in the third round with a defeat to Sofia Kenin. During this match, she sustained an ankle injury, which forced her to withdraw from the doubles competition at the tournament.

6.1. Professional awards

• WTA Doubles Team of the Year - 2024 (with Sara Errani)
• Billie Jean King Cup Heart Award - 2024
• ITF Women's Doubles World Champion - 2024 (with Sara Errani)

6.2. Orders

• CONI Golden Collar of Sports Merit (Collare d'Oro al Merito Sportivo^Italian) - 2024

6.3. Special awards

• Golden Pegasus of Tuscany (Pegaso d'Oro della Regione Toscana^Italian) - 2025

7.1. Performance Timelines

Current through the 2025 Australian Open.

7.2. Grand Slam Tournament Finals

This section summarizes Jasmine Paolini's appearances and results in Grand Slam tournament finals.

7.3. Olympic Finals

This section summarizes Jasmine Paolini's appearances and results in Olympic finals.