Pocket dynamo Paolini gets set for Paris

Hindustan Times

20-05-2025

Mumbai: Jasmine Paolini claims she gets her tendency to smile – constantly – from her mother. On Saturday, she sang, danced, and smiled wider than she had ever before, at a packed Foro Italico in Rome.
With her 6-4, 6-2 win over Coco Gauff in the final, Paolini became the first Italian woman since Raffaella Reggina in 1985 to win the Italian Open title, and the first from the country since the tournament was shifted to the capital. A day later, she became the first since Monica Seles in 1990 to win both the singles and doubles titles at the event.
Her third singles WTA title – second at the 1000 Masters series and first on clay – takes her back to her career high world No.4 rank. What it should also do is secure her spot as one of the top forces on the professional circuit.
The pocket dynamo from a town in Tuscany was the runner-up at both the French Open and Wimbledon Championships last year. She won gold in the women's doubles event, with Sara Errani, at the Paris Olympics last year and later led Italy to its first Billie Jean King Cup title since 2013.
Yet the late-bloomer has been a largely underrated figure on the tennis tour. One of the easiest reasons to understand why is because the 29-year-old has not won too many tour titles.
She had a slow start to this season, but started to pick up in March when she reached the semi-final at the Miami Masters. It was followed by a quarter-final finish at Stuttgart and then a third-round exit at the Madrid Masters.
Still, she was the sixth seed in Rome and dropped just one set en route to the title – beating Ons Jabeur and former French Open champion Jelena Ostapenko along the way.
For all that she has achieved, she has had to punch well above her weight.
In a sport that is becoming more rewarding for taller players, Paolini stands at 5-foot-4. Yet she plays an aggressive brand of tennis.
'I didn't decide to be an aggressive player,' she told WTA. 'I just liked to play like that. I like to be aggressive, even with the drop shots. And I don't like to run – I mean, I will run, but I don't like it.'
With solid groundstrokes off both flanks giving her a foundation, Paolini is remarkably quick on her feet. She's made it a knack of chasing down everything thrown at her and packs a punch with heavy topspin on the forehand and – more often than not – a flat backhand.
She tends to not stay too far behind the baseline as well.
'It's because I'm small that I cannot play too much behind the baseline,' Paolini, the joint-shortest player in the top 50 (with Yulia Putintseva), told WTA. 'I have to try to stay aggressive. My serve, it's okay but I have to try to make my game anyway. I'm too short to play behind.'
Her weakest shot – mainly because of her height – is probably her serve. She cannot afford to hit flat serves too often. But that is not to say her serve is weak. She focuses on accuracy and does manage to put in a fair amount of power and disguise in it.
On Championship Point in Rome, it was a serve down the T that Gauff – the new world No.2 who stands five inches taller than the Italian – could not get back in play.
At once Paolini erupted in that big endearing smile that has captivated her home crowd. Later the audience would break into song, chanting 'ole, ole, ole, Jasmine, Jasmine.' A new war cry from the heart of Rome itself.
Paolini, the smiling pocket dynamo is among the smallest players in tennis today. But she no longer stands under the radar. And at the French Open that starts next week, last year's finalist will command attention.
Sumit Nagal through to 2nd round of qualis
India's No.1 singles player Sumit Nagal scored a 6-1, 6-1 win over USA's Mitchell Krueger in their first round French Open qualification match on Tuesday.
Nagal, who favours clay courts, is hoping to make it to the main draw of the French Open for only the second time after he earned a direct berth at the Slam last year.
Now ranked 170, Nagal will play world No.225 Jurij Rodionov in the second qualification round on Thursday.