Jasmine Paolini acknowledged that she would have thought someone was insane if they had told her two months ago that she would be in the Wimbledon final.
Paolini defeated Donna Vekic in a Center Court classic semifinal encounter, 2-6 6-4 7-6 (10/8), following a nail-biting match tie-break. After a record-breaking two hours and fifty-one minutes, Paolini became the first Italian woman to advance to the Wimbledon finals, where she will take on Barbora Krejcikova.
Her run has been remarkable considering that she had only lost in the opening round of her three prior trips to SW19 and had not triumphed in a tour-level match on grass until 15 days ago in Eastbourne.
Since Serena Williams in 2016, Paolini is the first female to have advanced to consecutive Wimbledon and Roland Garros finals.
Paolini expressed her feelings after the win and said: “It was really tough. She played a great match. I tried to fight every ball. But I am so happy with this win. This match is one I will remember forever. I was not trying to think too much, point by point. There is no place better than here to fight every point. For players, this is the best place.”
She added: “I think it is not easy for the family to watch a match like this, with the rollercoaster of emotions. I am so grateful to have them here, watching. This last month [after reaching the French Open final] has been crazy for me. But I am trying to focus on what’s happening in the court. I was watching the finals at Wimbledon when I was a kid. I am just living in the present. I hope you enjoyed it. I tried to play my best. Now I have to recover with an ice bath. I am a little bit tired, so happy to be in the final.”
Jasmine Paolini after becoming first Italian woman to reach the Wimbledon Final
“For your family up there watching.. we see them during the match. We see what they were going through.”
*Jasmine laughs*
Jasmine: “I think it’s not easy for the family to watch a match like this.… pic.twitter.com/BwsNRJ6wLK
— The Tennis Letter (@TheTennisLetter) July 11, 2024
Paolini in Wimbledon, ranking, and results in 2024
LWWWWWWLWW Ranked world no.7 (career-high), Jasmine achieved a compiled 30-12 match record in 2024. Paolini is now having a run in Wimbledon where she defeated the world no.55 Sara Sorribes Tormo 7-5 6-3, the world no.80 Greetje Minnen 7-6(5) 6-2, the world no.176 Bianca Vanessa Andreescu 7-6(4) 6-1, the world no.13 Madison Keys 6-3 6-7(6) 5-5 ret., the world no.17 Emma Navarro 6-2 6-1 and the world no.37 Donna Vekic 2-6 6-4 7-6(8).
Jasmine Paolini will come up against the world no.79 Oceane Dodin in the . Their current record is 1-0 for Paolini.
The Italian clinched 1 title in 2024 in Dubai. Jasmine got to the final at the French Open.
Jasmine Paolini |
| Embed from Getty Images |
