"Never dreamed to be No. 1 or Grand Slam champion" - Jasmine Paolini 'surprised' by Novak Djokovic & Jannik Sinner's lofty ambitions as kids
Jasmine Paolini recently opened up about being surprised by Novak Djokovic and Jannik Sinner having ambitious goals from a young age. She explained that she was taken aback by their big aspirations, as she did not have similar dreams during her childhood.
Paolini recently secured her place in the final of the 2024 French Open after defeating Mirra Andreeva with a score of 6-3, 6-1 in just one hour and 13 minutes in the semifinals. This win marked her first time reaching a Major final and also made her the first Italian woman to do so since Flavia Pennetta and Roberta Vinci competed for the 2015 US Open title
During the post-match press conference, Jasmine Paolini revealed that she initially played the sport for sheer enjoyment. When she turned professional, she did not have high aspirations like becoming a World No.1 or a Grand Slam champion. Rather, she wanted to break into the top 10 rankings.
"When I started to play tennis I was just enjoying it. I was not dreaming too much. I was just enjoying playing tennis then, I started to train like a professional tennis player. I was dreaming of becoming a professional. I never dreamed to be number one, a Grand Slam champion, never dreamed so big, never. Maybe I dreamed of being in the top 10 but I was hoping but not really believing in this," Paolini said [2:33].
Paolini stated that she focuses on achieving goals that are within reach, rather than aiming for distant dreams.
"I think step by step I started to to believe but dreamt for closer things, not too far, That I think it's not so positive because I think it's important to dream but I started to dream I think step by step not not too far away," she added [3:12].
The Italian also recalled being amazed by players like Novak Djokovic and her compatriot Jannik Sinner, who spoke of their lofty ambitions. However, she admitted that she couldn't relate to their mindset and preferred to set more realistic goals for herself.
"For me it's surprising to see interviews from Nole [Novak Djokovic] when I was a kid saying that he wanted to be World No.1 and when I watch this and I said it's unbelievable that you can dream as a child. I didn't dream when I was a child. It's unbelievable to see Jannik [Sinner] when he was 15 years old say that his dream was to be number one," Jasmine Paolini said [3:37].
Jasmine Paolini stated that she was happy to compete for the title at the 2024 French Open, despite never envisioning herself in a Grand Slam final.
"For me it's something different. I never dreamed to be in the Grand Slam final and I'm here. I'm so happy but it's something different. I'm a different kind of person I think," she added [4:06].
Jasmine Paolini will bid to win her first Grand Slam title at French Open 2024 against Iga Swiatek
Jasmine Paolini will bid for her first Grand Slam title at the French Open in 2024 against the two-time defending champion, Iga Swiatek.
On the way to the championship match, Paolini defeated players such as Daria Saville, Hailey Baptiste, Bianca Andreescu, Elina Avanesyan, and the fourth seed, Elena Rybakina, in the quarterfinals. She then overcame 17-year-old Mirra Andreeva in the semifinals to earn herself a spot in the final.
Meanwhile, top seed Swiatek triumphed over Leolia Jeanjean, Naomi Osaka, Marie Bouzkova, and Anastasia Potapova in the first four rounds. She then overcame Marketa Vondrousova in the quarterfinals and Coco Gauff in the semifinals to seal a berth in the final where she will face Paolini.
Jasmine Paolini and Iga Swiatek have faced each other twice on the WTA Tour, with the World No.1 winning both matches. Their most recent matchup was in the first round of the 2022 US Open, where Swiatek won 6-3, 6-0.