Hey there, fellow tennis enthusiasts It’s your girl Mia Johnson-Carter here, living the dream in Miami. Today, I’m super excited to dive into an incredible story that’s got everyone buzzing in the tennis world. Meet Jasmine Paolini, the 28-year-old Italian tennis sensation who has just achieved a new career-high ranking of No. 4 in the world, tying Francesca Schiavone as the highest-ranked Italian female tennis player ever.
When this year started, Paolini was ranked at No. 29 in the world and had only two WTA 250 titles under her belt. She didn’t have any notable results at the Grand Slam or WTA 1000 levels. Fast forward to late October, and she’s now a two-time Grand Slam finalist, a WTA 1000 champion, a top-5 player, and an Olympic gold medalist in women’s doubles. That’s some serious tennis magic right there!
Paolini’s journey is nothing short of remarkable. Despite reaching such heights later in her career, she’s making waves in the tennis community with her consistency and determination. When asked about her success and sensational 2024 season, Paolini herself admitted that she didn’t believe she could be here one day. “That’s a difficult question. I don’t know. I was believing maybe that I could play better than I was doing. But honestly, at this level, maybe not (laughing). No… With this consistency that I’ve had this year… No. I thought maybe, ‘Okay, I’ll have one good result.’ But like this, maybe not… I have to be honest,” she confessed in mid-2024.
Paolini’s achievements are not just about her own success but also about breaking barriers for Italian women’s tennis. A decade and a half ago, Schiavone was the face of Italian women’s tennis after winning the 2010 French Open and making it No. 4 in the world in 2011. Paolini is now following in those footsteps and making history of her own.
As a reward for her outstanding season, Paolini will debut at the WTA Finals in Riyadh next week. This is a testament to her hard work and dedication to the sport she loves.
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