Jasmine Paolini, aged 28, is set to become the first Italian woman in nine years to compete in a Grand Slam final. She will face off against the World No. 1, Iga Swiatek, on Saturday.
Paolini continued her impressive performance at the French Open by defeating 17-year-old Russian prodigy, Mirra Andreeva, in straight sets, 6-3 6-1, in the second semi-final on Thursday.
Before this remarkable run, Paolini had never made it to the semi-final of a Grand Slam tournament. Her previous best performance was a fourth-round exit at the Australian Open earlier this year.
She will become the first Italian woman to compete in a major final when she steps onto Court Phillippe Chatrier on Saturday since the 2015 US Open when Flavia Pennetta and Roberta Vinci competed in the first-ever Italian Grand Slam final.
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Moreover, Paolini’s victory on Thursday means she is the first Italian woman to reach the Roland Garros final since Sara Errani did so 12 years ago, in 2012.
Should compatriot Jannik Sinner win his semi-final match against Carlos Alcaraz on Friday, it would be the first time in history that both an Italian man and a woman are competing in the finals of the Roland Garros.
Reflecting on her achievement, an emotional Paolini said, “To dream is perhaps the most important thing in sports and life. So, I am happy that I could dream of this moment. I don’t know what to say. I am so emotional about it.”
Paolini, previously ranked 15th in the WTA rankings, has now broken into the Top 10 and is projected to rise to No. 7 following her semi-final win.
She will face off against Iga Swiatek in the final, who defeated World No.3 Coco Gauff in straight sets, 6-2 6-4. Swiatek, the World No. 1, is often referred to as the “queen of clay”. She has won her last 20 matches at Roland Garros, culminating in three consecutive Roland Garros titles.
