Jasmine Paolini described her achievement of reaching the Wimbledon final as surreal, admitting that it once felt like “a distant reality.” After her first Grand Slam final appearance at the French Open, where she lost to Iga Swiatek, the 28-year-old Italian demonstrated her prowess by advancing to another Major final at The Championships.
In contrast to her experience at the French Open, where she struggled, Paolini performed admirably at Wimbledon, coming within a set of claiming the title. Ultimately, she fell short, with Barbora Krejcikova defeating her 6-2, 2-6, 6-4.
Before her impressive run at Wimbledon in 2024, Paolini had competed at the All England Club six times, failing to advance past qualifying on three occasions and losing in the first round three times. Reflecting on her journey, she told Sky Sports Italia, “I was trying to realize where I was and the moment I was living because I honestly always watched the Wimbledon finals on television. It seemed like a very distant reality. When I was there, I tried to tell myself to enjoy it fully. Being there in person had a big effect on me. It still doesn’t seem too real to me, to be honest.”
Paolini, who will turn 29 in January, captured her first WTA 500 title in Dubai earlier this year, made her first two Grand Slam finals, broke into the top 10 for the first time, and debuted at the WTA Finals. Throughout the year, she has expressed surprise at her rapid ascent in the sport.
Now regarded as one of the top players in tennis, Paolini is poised to attract significant attention as she heads into 2025.
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