5 unknown facts about Jasmine Paolini, Wimbledon 2024's surprise finalist from Italy
It’s difficult to believe that Jasmine Paolini had never won a match at Wimbledon coming into this year’s tournament. While she has joked about drawing two-time champion Petra Kvitova in back-to-back years being the reason behind her poor record, there’s no denying her improvement.
The Italian’s newfound aggression has been the driving force behind her success, as evidenced by her wins over the likes of Bianca Andreescu, Madison Keys, Emma Navarro and Donna Vekic.
Now, Paolini finds herself just one win away from winning her maiden Grand Slam. She had earlier in June reached the summit clash at the French Open. With her stardom in the ascendancy, it makes for a good time to get to know the latest Wimbledon star a little better.
For that, we have compiled five lesser-known facts about Paolini here:
Jasmine Paolini has a multicultural heritage
Born on January 4, 1996, to an Italian father and a Polish-Ghanaian mother, Jasmine Paolini comes from a multicultural background.
The 28-year-old holds all parts of her heritage close to her and believes that she has picked up characteristics unique to each culture. In a May 2024 interview with the BNPParibasOpen.com, she said:
“Ghanaian, maybe I feel like I’m fast on court. And I think that part of my family helped me. Maybe from Poland, I have the determination, maybe. But of course I also have the Italian energy (laughs). It’s a mix. And I’m really proud of it.”
Paolini spent her formative years in Bagni di Lucca, Tuscany, and has represented Italy throughout her professional career.
Paolini was encouraged to pursue tennis by her uncle
Jasmine Paolini comes from a sports-loving family. Her father Ugo and uncle Adriano played tennis and it was the latter who pushed her into making a career in sports.
Adriano would take Paolini to the claycourts at the TC Mirafiume in their native Bagni di Lucca. In the same interview with BNPParibasOpen.com, the Italian spoke about her fond memories of playing at the local club.
“I spent the first 14 years of my life there. I have beautiful memories. It’s really relaxed. There is a river, a very nice river and you can go to the mountains. You can play tennis because there is a small tennis (club) there. I was enjoying a calm life when I was a child. Also the tennis club was small so I could enjoy without any limitations,” she said.
Jasmine Paolini idolizes Roger Federer
While her familiarity with claycourt from her days in Bagni di Lucca translated into a bit of expertise on the surface (she reached her first Slam final on red dirt at this year’s French Open), her idol growing up was the grass maverick, Roger Federer.
Paolini finds herself just two wins away from lifting the crown at Wimbledon, where Roger Federer was the most successful, and her idol's past exploits might serve as added motivation to do well on the surface.
The fact that she never won a match at Wimbledon and seldom made an impact on grass before her ongoing run at this year’s Championships makes it even more special.
Jasmine Paolini speaks three languages
Jasmine Paolini’s multicultural background meant that she was exposed to multiple languages from a young age as well.
Besides her mother tongue (Italian), the 28-year-old also speaks English and Polish. She picked up the language from her mother as she frequently conversed in Polish. Paolini, however, expressed apprehensions about her Polish in an interview with the WTA Insider.
“When I was young [my mother] was speaking to me in Polish,” Jasmine Paolini said. “Now I can speak Polish, but I also forgot some words. For example, Magdalena Frech is speaking to me and I am always like, ‘Please speak slow because sometimes I would like to say something in Polish and I say one word in English.’ My brain is mixed a lot.”
Italian cuisine reigns supreme for Paolini
Jasmine Paolini comes from the land of pizzas and pasta and understandably, Italian food is her go-to choice.
The Italian is an avid traveler and likes to explore new cultures, but the comfort that pizza on her dinner plate brings remains unmatched. Besides pizza, Paolini also enjoys a bowl of pasta, with spaghetti alle vongole being among her top picks.
Top of the list of things she avoids eating is cilantro. The Italian spoke at length about her aversion to the herb with BNPParibasOpen.com.
“Cilantro, coriander. When I go to restaurants, I ask for no cilantro, no coriander, because I cannot eat it. I don’t know why. Usually I can eat everything but when coriander is on the plate, I cannot eat it!” she said.