Paolini now enters Roland Garros as one of the favorites!
World number 4 Jasmine Paolini is rising rapidly on the WTA tour. Coming off a memorable win at her home tournament in Rome, the diminutive Italian is taking the tennis world by storm. After turning pro in 2015, the 29-year-old saw a drastic improvement in her game in 2024 when she made it to the finals of both the French Open and Wimbledon.
Although the spirited player is yet to win a major, she has notched up two Masters 1000 wins, with the latter coming just a few days ago at the Italian Open. Prior to her win in Italy, she also made consecutive semi-final appearances in Miami and Stuttgart, only to lose to world number one Aryna Sabalenka.
But, while Paolini continues to improve her game and take it to the next level, she has earned some strong support and admiration from none other than former American great, Andy Roddick.
Speaking on his ‘Served’ podcast following the conclusion of the Italian Open, former tennis great Andy Roddick hailed the Italian for her ability to hit the correct shots time and again.
“She also never hits a shot where I’m like, “Woof, that was a wrong choice.” She might get beat. She’s like, she always hits the right shot.”
Roddick went on to add that she may miss the shot, but her strength lies in her ability to rarely make the wrong decision during points. He even praised her on-court intelligence and the way she has been able to make an impact despite an apparent lack of size.
“She might miss it, she might miss it by an inch, she might, you know, miss a ball, but rarely is she strategically irresponsible or wrong. Very very intelligent, like hyper intelligent, and you know she’s been playing from like a physicality deficit for since she turned pro. It’s not surprising if you’re four, she’s four in the world, all of us had her making the final, and like, oh, that was a great story, she’s ranked higher a year later. She has done an amazing job, she is a great player. She is a lot of fun to watch.”
Considering that the Italian native has been having quite a good run on clay this season, there is every chance that Paolini could not only make her second consecutive final at Roland Garros, but also lift the Suzanne Lenglen Cup.
Her recent form seems to suggest that she has yet another deep run up her sleeve in Paris, especially given that she has taken out some big names along the way this year, especially world number 3 Coco Gauff, whom she defeated in the Stuttgart quarters and the Italian Open final.
At the rate Paolini is improving and with her current form, she is surely one of the favorites for the title at the upcoming French Open. And a win in Paris would truly make the world take notice of her.
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